Ethnic variability associating gut and oral microbiome with obesity in children

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Pediatric health
• Health disparities

Background:

• Obesity is a global health concern, disproportionately affecting minority populations.
• Early-life obesity requires identification of predictive indicators.
• Understanding ethnic-specific microbial contributions to obesity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile gut and oral microbiota associated with obesity in African American (AA) and European American (EA) children.
• To identify microbial clades predictive of obesity status across different ethnicities.
• To explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on ethnicity-specific microbial profiles.

Main Methods:

• 16S rDNA sequencing of gut and saliva microbial communities.
• Correlation analysis with salivary amylase and socioeconomic factors.
• Comparison of microbial diversity (alpha, beta, taxa-level) between ethnic groups and obesity status.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in gut and oral microbial diversity were observed between AA and EA children.
• Gut microbes *Klebsiella* and *Magasphaera* abundance linked to obesity in AA children.
• Oral microbes *Aggregatibacter* and *Eikenella* abundance linked to obesity in EA children.
• Gut microbial diversity differences between obese and non-obese children were not evident in EA children.

Conclusions:

• Gut and oral microbial profiles show ethnicity-specific associations with childhood obesity.
• Socioeconomic factors modulate obesity-related microbiota in an ethnicity-dependent manner.
• Tailored, population-specific strategies are needed to address childhood obesity.