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Age and the aging process significantly alter the small bowel microbiome
Gabriela Leite1, Mark Pimentel2, Gillian M Barlow1
1Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Cell Reports
|September 30, 2021
Summary
Aging significantly alters the small intestinal microbiome, decreasing diversity. Older individuals show increased Proteobacteria and coliforms, linked to age, disease, and medications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Gut microbial diversity is known to decrease with age.
- Previous studies primarily utilized stool samples, limiting insights into the entire gastrointestinal tract's microbiome.
- The small intestinal microbiome's changes during aging remain less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of aging on the duodenal microbiome composition and diversity.
- To identify factors associated with age-related alterations in the small intestinal microbiome.
- To compare duodenal microbiome changes with those previously observed in stool samples.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of duodenal microbiome samples from 251 subjects across four age groups (18-35, 36-50, 51-65, 66-80).
- Assessment of microbial diversity and relative abundance (RA) of different taxa.
- Correlation analysis between microbial changes and chronological age, number of diseases, and medications.
Main Results:
- Duodenal microbial diversity significantly decreases in older subjects.
- Decreased diversity is associated with chronological age, comorbidities, and medication use.
- Increased relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia, and Klebsiella is observed in older individuals.
- Specific genera showed associations with age, medication count, or disease count individually.
Conclusions:
- The small intestinal microbiome undergoes significant alterations with the aging process.
- Age-related changes in the duodenal microbiome are multifactorial, influenced by age, health status, and treatments.
- Duodenal analysis provides a more accurate representation of gut microbiome changes during aging compared to stool samples.
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