Abstract
Gut microbiota is associated with the development of metabolic disorders. To study its association with childhood obesity, we performed a cross-sectional study with 46 children (6–12 years old). We collected fecal samples, food-frequency questionnaires (FFQs), and anthropometric measurements. Shotgun metagenomics were used to obtain the microbial taxonomic diversity and metabolic potential. We identified two dietary profiles characterized by complex carbohydrates and proteins (pattern 1) and saturated fat and simple carbohydrates (pattern 2). We classified each participant into normal weight (NW) or overweight and obese (OWOB) using their body mass index (BMI) z-score. The ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and alpha diversity were not different between the BMI groups. Genera contributing to beta diversity between NW and OWOB groups included Bacteroides rodentium, B. intestinalis, B. eggerthii, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Eubacterium sp., and Roseburia sp. B. rodentium was associated with lower BMI and dietary pattern 1 intake. Eubacterium sp. and Roseburia sp. were associated with BMI increments and high consumption of dietary pattern 2. Methane and energy metabolism were found enriched in under-represented KEGG pathways of NW group compared to OWOB. Complex dietary and microbiome interaction leads to metabolic differences during childhood, which should be elucidated to prevent metabolic diseases in adolescence and adulthood.
Highlights
Obesity is a multifactorial disease in which increased energy intake is stored as fat [1,2]
All individuals were grouped into normal weight (NW) or overweight and obese (OWOB) using the World Health Organization (WHO) z-scores for childhood body mass index (BMI) adjusted by gender and age [28]
Our results showed that normal-weighted children had increased relative abundance of B. rodentium, B. intestinalis, B. eggerthii, and We identiMfieedthatanxobarethviabtacdtiefrfesrmbityhiBi,MwIhsetraetaussopverfwoermigihntganadsiombielsaericthyilodfrpenerhcaedntiangcersemented Eubacanalysis (SIMPtEerRiu).mTshpe.tanxad tRhoastembuorsiat cspon. tribute to beta diversity (Bray–Curtis) by abundance, which cumulatively explain 70%+ of the variation between NW and OWOB groups, include genera and species previously reported as physiologically important (Supplemental Table S6)
Summary
Obesity is a multifactorial disease in which increased energy intake is stored as fat [1,2]. It has become a global public health issue, in countries like Mexico, where its prevalence has increased [3]. The Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes (F:B) ratio has been associated with disease occurrence [7,8,9]. The Firmicutes phylum has been associated with alterations in energy metabolism and positively correlated with energy harvest and fat mass accumulation, whereas the Bacteroidetes proportion has been correlated with loss of fat [8,12]
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