The comparison of gut microbiota between different types of epilepsy in children
Siwei Fang1,2,3, Nanfei Hu1,4, Changci Zhou1,2,3
1Pediatrics Research Institute of Hunan Province, The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (Hunan Children's Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
Insights
Children with epilepsy show distinct gut microbiota compared to healthy individuals. Specific bacterial changes, like increased Escherichia/Shigella, may indicate epilepsy severity and offer therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Gut microbiota composition is increasingly recognized as a factor influencing neurological conditions.
- Epilepsy, a common neurological disorder in children, presents with diverse clinical manifestations.
- Understanding gut microbiome variations in pediatric epilepsy is crucial for potential diagnostic and therapeutic advancements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differences in gut microbiota diversity and composition among children with various epilepsy types and healthy controls.
- To identify specific microbial signatures associated with focal and generalized epilepsy, including benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT).
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 37 children with epilepsy (focal and generalized subtypes) and 14 healthy children.
- Classification of epilepsy types based on seizure origin, extent, and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings.
- Analysis of gut microbiota composition at the genus level using statistical comparisons between groups.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in gut microbiota diversity and composition were observed between children with epilepsy and healthy controls.
- Elevated levels of Megamonas, Streptococcus, Romboutsia, Bacteroides, and Escherichia/Shigella were noted in the focal epilepsy group compared to controls.
- Specific genera, including Megamonas and Collinsella, were more abundant in the benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) group than in controls.
Conclusions:
- While no significant gut microbiota differences were found between epilepsy subtypes, children with epilepsy exhibited distinct microbial profiles compared to healthy children.
- Increased abundance of Escherichia/Shigella may correlate with worse clinical outcomes and could serve as a biomarker for focal epilepsy or non-BECT epilepsy.
- These findings suggest potential novel therapeutic targets within the gut microbiome for pediatric epilepsy management.
Objective:
To better understand the variations in gut microbiota in children with different types of epilepsy.
Methods:
Thirty-seven children with epilepsy were included in the case group, which was further divided into focal (group A, n = 28) and generalized epilepsy groups (group B, n = 9) based on the origin and extent of the seizures. The focal epilepsy group was subdivided into the benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) (group C, n = 9) and non-BECT groups (group D, n = 19) based on the appearance of typical centrotemporal spikes or spike-wave complexes on the electroencephalogram (EEG). Additionally, 14 healthy children were selected as the control group (group E, n = 14).
Results:
Significant differences were observed in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota between the case and control groups. At the genus level, the abundance of Megamonas (P = 0.001), Streptococcus (P<0.001), Romboutsia (P = 0.001), Bacteroides (P<0.05), and Escherichia/Shigella (P<0.05) was significantly higher in the focal epilepsy group than in the control group (0.027 vs. 0.00009, P = 0.001; 0.016 vs. 0.002, P<0.001; 0.013 vs. 0.002, P = 0.001; 0.030 vs. 0.002, P<0.05, respectively). Additionally, Escherichia/Shigella (P<0.05) was more abundant in the case group compared to the control group (0.033 vs. 0.002, P<0.05). Bacteroides (P<0.05) was more abundant in the control group than in the case group. Megamonas (P<0.001) and Collinsella (P<0.05) were significantly more prevalent in the BECT group than in the control group (0.034 vs. 0.00009, P<0.001; 0.014 vs. 0.001, P<0.05, respectively). In the non-BECT group, compared to the control group, Megamonas (P = 0.013), Streptococcus (P<0.001), Romboutsia (P = 0.001), and Escherichia/Shigella (P<0.05) were found in greater abundance (0.023 vs. 0.00009, P = 0.013; 0.018 vs. 0.002, P<0.001; 0.014 vs. 0.002, P = 0.001; 0.037 vs. 0.002, P<0.05, respectively).
Conclusions:
Though, there were no statistically significant differences in gut microbiota between the different types of epilepsy, the gut microbiota of children with epilepsy significantly differed from that of healthy controls. The increased abundance of Escherichia/Shigella may lead to the worsening of clinical phenotypes and poor prognosis, and it could be a candidate biomarker to identify the focal epilepsy or even non-benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, potentially providing new therapeutic targets for the future.
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