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Altered Gut Microbiota and Shift in Bacteroidetes between Young Obese and Normal-Weight Korean Children: A

Saeam Shin1, Ky Young Cho2

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.

Biomed Research International
|September 10, 2020
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiome composition differs between obese and normal-weight Korean children. Lower levels of Bacteroidetes in obese children suggest it could be a therapeutic target for pediatric obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Pediatric health
  • Obesity studies

Background:

  • Emerging evidence links gut microbiome alterations to obesity pathophysiology.
  • Understanding pediatric obesity requires characterizing gut microbial differences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize gut microbiota composition in obese versus normal-weight Korean children (aged 5-13).
  • To identify microbial differences associated with pediatric obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Fecal sample collection from 46 children (22 obese, 24 normal-weight).
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing on Illumina MiSeq platform.
  • Analysis using Linear Discriminative Analysis (LDA) with Effect Size (LEfSe) and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt).

Main Results:

  • Reduced relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in obese children, negatively correlated with BMI z-score.
  • Significant differences in beta diversity, but not alpha diversity, between groups.
  • Gut microbiota linked to BMI z-score, inflammatory/metabolic biomarkers, and dietary intake (niacin, sodium, vitamin B6, fat).
  • Obese children's gut microbiota showed increased genus clustering.
  • PICRUSt analysis indicated enriched carbohydrate and lipid metabolism functions in normal-weight children's microbiota.

Conclusions:

  • Gut microbial composition differs significantly between obese and normal-weight Korean children.
  • Bacteroidetes may serve as a potential therapeutic target for pediatric obesity.
  • Findings contribute to understanding the gut microbiome's role in childhood obesity.

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