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Composition of Gut Microbiota in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Lucía Iglesias-Vázquez1, Georgette Van Ginkel Riba2, Victoria Arija1
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
Insights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to gut dysbiosis. Children with ASD show altered gut bacteria, including higher levels of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and lower Bifidobacterium. Further research may explore probiotic interventions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 0.6%-1.7% of children globally.
- Gastrointestinal issues and gut dysbiosis are common in ASD.
- The gut-brain axis highlights communication pathways between gut microbiota and neurological function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare gut microbiota composition in children with and without ASD.
- To identify specific bacterial phyla and genera associated with ASD.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted up to February 2020.
- Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan5.3.
- Included 18 studies with 493 children with ASD and 404 controls.
Main Results:
- Microbiota in ASD children showed higher abundance of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria phyla.
- Specific genera like Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in ASD.
- Children with ASD had lower percentages of Coprococcus and Bifidobacterium.
Conclusions:
- ASD is associated with gut dysbiosis, potentially impacting symptom development and severity.
- Further research is needed to confirm the efficacy of prebiotics or probiotics for ASD symptom management.
Background:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a public health problem and has a prevalence of 0.6%-1.7% in children. As well as psychiatric symptoms, dysbiosis and gastrointestinal comorbidities are also frequently reported. The gut-brain microbiota axis suggests that there is a form of communication between microbiota and the brain underlying some neurological disabilities. The aim of this study is to describe and compare the composition of gut microbiota in children with and without ASD.
Methods:
Electronic databases were searched as far as February 2020. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan5.3 to estimate the overall relative abundance of gut bacteria belonging to 8 phyla and 17 genera in children with ASD and controls.
Results:
We included 18 studies assessing a total of 493 ASD children and 404 controls. The microbiota was mainly composed of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria, all of which were more abundant in the ASD children than in the controls. Children with ASD showed a significantly higher abundance of the genera Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium, and Phascolarctobacterium and a lower percentage of Coprococcus and Bifidobacterium.
Discussion:
This meta-analysis suggests that there is a dysbiosis in ASD children which may influence the development and severity of ASD symptomatology. Further studies are required in order to obtain stronger evidence of the effectiveness of pre- or probiotics in reducing autistic behaviors.
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