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Age and severity-dependent gut microbiota alterations in Tunisian children with autism spectrum disorder
Mariem Chamtouri1,2, Naoufel Gaddour3, Abderrahmen Merghni4
1Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), 33300, Villaviciosa, Spain.
Insights
Gut microbiota alterations and specific short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early interventions may help mitigate these gut and neurodevelopmental issues in children with ASD.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) alterations.
- Understanding these changes in diverse populations is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the gut microbiota and fecal SCFA profiles in Tunisian children with ASD.
- To compare these profiles with siblings (SIB) and the general population (GP).
- To investigate age-related differences in these alterations.
Main Methods:
- Metataxonomic analysis of gut microbiota composition.
- Quantification of fecal SCFA levels.
- Comparison between ASD patients, SIB, and GP groups across different age ranges (4-7 and 8-10 years).
Main Results:
- ASD patients exhibited distinct gut microbiota profiles compared to SIB and GP.
- Lower abundance of Bifidobacterium was a key feature in severe autism, particularly in younger children (4-7 years).
- Elevated propionic and valeric acid levels were observed in ASD patients compared to GP at 4-7 years, diminishing by 8-10 years.
Conclusions:
- Gut microbiota alterations in ASD are more pronounced at earlier ages and tend to attenuate over time.
- The study highlights the potential role of early gut health interventions in managing ASD-associated neurodevelopmental impairments.
- This is the first metataxonomic study of gut microbiota in Tunisian autistic children.
Abstract:
Alterations in gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) have been reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We analysed the gut microbiota and fecal SCFA in Tunisian autistic children from 4 to 10 years, and results were compared to those obtained from a group of siblings (SIB) and children from the general population (GP). ASD patients presented different gut microbiota profiles compared to SIB and GP, with differences in the levels of Bifidobacterium and Collinsella occurring in younger children (4-7 years) and that tend to be attenuated at older ages (8-10 years). The lower abundance of Bifidobacterium is the key feature of the microbiota composition associated with severe autism. ASD patients presented significantly higher levels of propionic and valeric acids than GP at 4-7 years, but these differences disappeared at 8-10 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the gut microbiota profile of Tunisian autistic children using a metataxonomic approach. This exploratory study reveals more pronounced gut microbiota alterations at early than at advanced ages in ASD. Although we did not account for multiple testing, our findings suggest that early interventions might mitigate gut disorders and cognitive and neurodevelopment impairment associated to ASD.
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