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Age-Dependent and Body Composition-Dependent Association of Child Gut Microbial Enterotype With Puberty Timing: A

Yujie Xu1, Jingyuan Xiong2, Shufang Shan1

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Translational Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, P.R. China.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|February 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Gut microbiome enterotypes influence puberty timing. The Bacteroides-rich enterotype is linked to later puberty, especially in younger children with higher body mass index (BMI).

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Adolescent health

Background:

  • Puberty timing is crucial for adult well-being.
  • Gut microbiome composition, specifically enterotypes, may influence pubertal development.
  • Previous research linked specific gut bacteria to puberty, but enterotype-level associations were unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prospective association between gut microbial enterotype and puberty timing in children.
  • To examine the interaction effects of age and body composition (BMI SDS) on this association.

Main Methods:

  • 1826 children from the Chinese Adolescent Cohort Study were analyzed.
  • Annual fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics.
  • Cox proportional hazard regression models assessed enterotype association with puberty timing, considering age and BMI SDS.

Main Results:

  • Children were classified into Prevotella-rich (32.4%) and Bacteroides-rich (67.6%) enterotypes.
  • Bacteroides-rich enterotype was associated with later puberty onset (HR 0.53, P=.02).
  • This association was stronger in younger children with higher BMI SDS (P-interaction=.006).

Conclusions:

  • Gut microbial communities play a role in pubertal development.
  • Younger children with higher body mass appear more sensitive to gut microbiome influences on puberty.
Abstract

Keywords:
body compositioncohortgut microbial enterotypepuberty timing

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