Gut microbiota is associated with weight gain in children treated with atypical antipsychotic: A pilot longitudinal...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Atypical antipsychotics (APs) are crucial for treating pediatric psychiatric conditions.
• Weight gain is a common and concerning side effect of AP treatment in children.
• Understanding the role of the gut microbiome in AP-induced weight gain is essential for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate longitudinal changes in gut microbiota composition during atypical antipsychotic (AP) treatment in medication-naive pediatric inpatients.
• To identify specific bacterial taxa associated with weight gain in this patient population.
• To determine if baseline gut microbiome composition predicts the risk of AP-associated weight gain.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal microbiota study involving 43 pediatric inpatients naive to AP medication.
• Analysis of gut microbiome composition at baseline and after 3 months of AP treatment.
• Comparison of microbial changes between patients who experienced weight gain and a control group.

Main Results:

• Baseline gut microbiome in the weight gain group was characterized by increased Parabacteroides and Eubacterium_hallii_group.
• After 3 months of AP treatment, significant increases in Romboutsia and Klebsiella relative abundances were observed.
• These specific bacterial changes were not significant in the control group, suggesting a link to AP treatment and weight gain.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiome alterations occur during atypical antipsychotic treatment in pediatric patients.
• Specific baseline gut microbial compositions are associated with an increased risk of AP-induced weight gain.
• These findings highlight the potential of the gut microbiome as a predictive biomarker and therapeutic target for managing weight gain during AP therapy.