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The Evaluation of Gut Microbiota in Obese Children with Primary Hypertension
Ece Senbaykal Yigit1, Hörü Gazi2, Pelin Ertan3
1Department of Pediatrics, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
Insights
Children with hypertension show reduced gut microbial richness and altered bacterial levels, particularly a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. These gut dysbiosis findings may lead to new diagnostics and treatments for childhood hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Health
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Childhood hypertension prevalence is rising.
- Gut microbiota dysbiosis is increasingly linked to hypertension.
- Understanding gut microbiome alterations in pediatric hypertension is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare gut microbiota composition in children with primary hypertension versus normotensive controls.
- To identify specific microbial differences associated with childhood hypertension.
- To explore potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets related to the gut microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study design with 20 hypertensive and 20 normotensive children.
- Exclusion of participants with chronic diseases, recent antibiotic use, or active infection.
- 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples for microbial analysis.
Main Results:
- Significantly reduced microbial richness at all taxonomic levels in hypertensive children.
- No significant differences in alpha and beta diversity indices between groups.
- Lower levels of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, with an increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in hypertensive patients (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Children with hypertension exhibit distinct gut microbiota dysbiosis.
- Findings suggest the gut microbiome as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for childhood hypertension.
- This research opens avenues for microbiota-based diagnostics and personalized preventive strategies.
Abstract:
The prevalence of childhood hypertension is steadily increasing, and there is growing evidence that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota plays a role in this process. This study compares the gut microbiota of children with primary hypertension to that of normotensive controls.This case-control study included 20 children with primary hypertension and 20 normotensive children matched for age, gender, and BMI. Exclusion criteria were the presence of chronic diseases other than hypertension, recent antibiotic use, and active infection. Stool samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Statistical analyses included Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and FDR correction.Microbial richness was significantly reduced at all taxonomic levels in hypertensive patients. However, there were no significant differences in alpha and beta diversity indices between the groups. Levels of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were lower in patients, while the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was increased (p<0.05).Changes in gut microbiota composition were observed in children with hypertension compared to the control group. These findings may enable the development of microbiota-based diagnostics and personalized treatments, and open the way for preventive approaches by identifying individuals at risk for chronic diseases.
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