Study of altered gut microbial dynamics and their association with gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The human gastrointestinal system is home to billions of different microbial species that coexist peacefully with the host. Age, diet, and environment affect gut microbial structure and diversity. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are the main gut microbial groups in humans. Human physiology is greatly affected by gut microbial metabolism and host–microbe interactions. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) women have a different gut microbial makeup. However, whether these microbial changes in the stomach may be detected before the diagnosis of GDM remains unknown. This study aims to study the dynamics of gut microbe in healthy and GDM women and analyze the potential biomarkers for early detection of GDM in pregnant women. In this study, gut microbial variations have been characterized and their relationship is evaluated with GDM development. A large multi-taxon microbial shift between GDM and normal cases was evident, indicating that few microbial disruptions from early to mid-pregnancy were related to the later development of GDM. Results of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) show the variable relative abundance of 13 taxonomic groups (at the family level) between the GDM and normal groups. Moreover, 8 taxonomic groups (at the family level) were found to be present in the GDM group only. The results contribute to the gut microbiota’s potential relevance as a biomarker for the early detection of GDM.