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Updated: May 11, 2026

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: March 19, 2018
Characterization of Intestinal Flora in Osteoporosis Patients Based on 16S rDNA Sequencing
Mengyue Sun1, Yuanyuan Liu2, Shan Tang2
1Department of Geratology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, Jiangsu, 223300, People's Republic of China.
Aim:
This study investigated differences in gut flora between osteoporosis (OP) patients and healthy individuals using 16S rDNA sequencing. The correlation between differential flora abundance and bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed, and key flora and potential mechanisms associated with OP were explored.
Methods:
Forty-three OP patients and twenty-four healthy volunteers were recruited. Gender, age, height, weight, and BMD data were collected. DNA from fecal samples was extracted for 16S rDNA sequencing. The Kruskal-Wallis test assessed differences in gut flora composition, while LEfSe analysis identified significant flora. Spearman correlation analysis examined the relationship between differential flora and BMD, and PICRUSt predicted pathways involved in OP.
Results:
Significant differences in microbial composition were found between the two groups. Klebsiella, Escherichia-Shigella, and Akkermansia were biomarkers in OP patients, with Faecalibacterium in the healthy group. Akkermansia abundance negatively correlated with lumbar BMD, while Klebsiella and Escherichia-Shigella negatively correlated with femoral neck and hip BMD. Faecalibacterium showed a positive correlation with BMD. Functional predictions indicated differences in metabolism-related pathways between the groups.
Conclusion:
Gut flora differed significantly between OP patients and healthy individuals. Akkermansia, Klebsiella, and Escherichia-Shigella could serve as diagnostic biomarkers for OP, highlighting the potential of gut flora in OP diagnosis and treatment.
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