Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025
Author Spotlight: Three-Dimensional Cephalometric Landmark Annotation Demonstration on Human Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: September 8, 2023
Association of gut microbiota composition and craniosynostosis
Zuqiang Fu1,2,3, Xiu Chen1,2, Cheng Xu1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Insights
This study found significant differences in gut microbiota composition in infants with craniosynostosis (CS). Specific bacterial orders, families, and genera were altered, suggesting a link between gut bacteria and CS development.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Gut microbiota is linked to metabolic diseases, but its role in craniosynostosis (CS) is understudied.
- Craniosynostosis (CS) is a complex congenital disorder affecting skull development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gut microbiota composition in infants with CS.
- To assess the relationship between gut microbiota and CS.
Main Methods:
- 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) high-throughput gene sequencing was used.
- 30 infants with CS and 30 non-CS infants were analyzed.
Main Results:
- CS patients showed significantly lower microbial diversity (family, genus, species).
- Specific taxa including Staphylococcales, Lactobacillales, Enterococcaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Enterococcus, and Staphylococcus were enriched in CS patients.
- Six metabolic pathways differed, with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation and penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthesis more abundant in the CS group.
Conclusions:
- Gut microbiota is statistically associated with CS development.
- Altered microbial taxa and functional pathways in CS patients offer insights into CS mechanisms.
- Findings may aid in the early diagnosis and understanding of CS pathogenesis.
Background:
Gut microbiota has been reported to be associated with a series of metabolic diseases including metabolic bone disease. However, study about gut microbiota and craniosynostosis (CS) is very rare. We aim to investigate the gut microbiota composition in CS patients and assess the possible relationship.
Methods:
A total of 30 infants with CS and 30 infants with non-CS treated in Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University of Jiangsu Province from June 2021 to March 2022 were finally included in this study. All processing and analysis are carried out using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) high-throughput gene sequencing.
Results:
The CS group have significantly lower levels of family, genus, and species than non-CS group (all P<0.05). Furthermore, Staphylococcales and Lactobacillales at the order level, Enterococcaceae and Staphylococcaceae at the family level, and Enterococcus and Staphylococcus at the genus level were significantly enriched in the CS group (all P<0.05). Additionally, functional prediction showed that six metabolic pathways significantly differed between the two groups (all P<0.05). Of those, pathways involving polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation (P=0.030) and penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthesis (P=0.027) were more abundant in CS group than in non-CS group.
Conclusions:
Gut microbiota was statistically associated with the development of CS, and several taxa and specific functional pathways with significantly altered abundance have been identified in CS patients. These findings can provide clues for the study on the mechanism and early diagnosis of CS.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:23Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
01:19Cranial and Spinal Meninges
Cranial Meninges
These meningeal layers cover the cranium. The dura mater is the outermost layer of cranial meninges. It is a thick and durable membrane of dense...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:08Overview of the Skull
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...