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Ketogenic diet poses a significant effect on imbalanced gut microbiota in infants with refractory epilepsy

Gan Xie1, Qian Zhou2, Chuang-Zhao Qiu2

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen 518026, Guangdong Province, China.

World Journal of Gastroenterology
|October 4, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Ketogenic diet (KD) significantly improves refractory epilepsy in infants by altering gut microbiota (GM). KD reshaped the GM of epileptic infants, showing reduced Proteobacteria and increased beneficial bacteria like Bacteroides.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Refractory epilepsy in infants presents significant challenges.
  • Gut microbiota (GM) composition is increasingly recognized as a factor in neurological conditions.
  • The role of ketogenic diet (KD) in modulating GM in pediatric epilepsy is an area of active research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the gut microbiota (GM) composition between infants with refractory epilepsy and healthy infants.
  • To investigate the impact of ketogenic diet (KD) on the GM of infants with refractory epilepsy.

Main Methods:

  • 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on stool samples from 14 infants with refractory epilepsy and 30 healthy infants.
  • Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using MOTHUR and R software.
  • Seizure frequencies were recorded before and after KD intervention.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in GM structure were observed between epileptic and healthy infants.
  • Ketogenic diet (KD) treatment led to a 50% decrease in seizure frequency in 64% of epileptic infants.
  • KD intervention significantly reduced Proteobacteria and Cronobacter, while increasing Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium in epileptic infants.

Conclusions:

  • Gut microbiota patterns differ significantly between infants with refractory epilepsy and healthy controls.
  • Ketogenic diet (KD) is effective in improving epilepsy symptoms and reshaping the gut microbiota in affected infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
CronobacterEpilepsyGut microbiotaKetogenic dietSeizures

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