Functional Abdominal Bloating Is Associated With Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Altered Intestinal Barrier Function:...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiome Research
• Immunology

Background:

• Functional abdominal bloating (FAB) is a common gastrointestinal disorder.
• Its underlying biological mechanisms, particularly gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function, require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize gut microbiota alterations in FAB patients.
• To assess intestinal barrier markers in FAB.
• To explore the biological mechanisms contributing to FAB.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of stool samples from 42 FAB patients using intergenic spacer profiling (16S-23S rDNA).
• Quantification of key bacterial taxa via real-time PCR.
• Measurement of gastrointestinal immune and permeability markers (calprotectin, sIgA, zonulin, α1-antitrypsin) using ELISA.

Main Results:

• Significant gut dysbiosis (dysbiosis index ≥15) observed in 90.5% of patients.
• Reduced microbial diversity and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio noted.
• Decreased beneficial bacteria (e.g., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila) and increased pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Proteobacteria) were prevalent.
• Elevated calprotectin and sIgA suggest mucosal immune activation; increased zonulin and α1-antitrypsin indicate potential barrier dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• FAB is associated with profound gut microbiota dysbiosis and altered mucosal immune responses.
• These findings demonstrate measurable biological changes in FAB pathophysiology.
• Results support the clinical relevance of microbiota analysis and targeted therapeutic strategies for FAB.