Understanding Microbiome Data: A Primer for Clinicians

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Seksik ◽  
Cécilia Landman
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Bacterial Colonization ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Host Determinants ◽  
Host Interaction ◽  
Bacterial Genes ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Microbiome Data

The human gut contains 1014 bacteria and many other micro-organisms such as Archaea, viruses and fungi. This gut microbiota has co-evolved with host determinants through symbiotic and co-dependent relationships. Bacteria, which represent 10 times the number of human cells, form the most depicted part of this black box owing to new tools. Re-evaluating the gut microbiota showed how this entity participates in gut physiology and beyond this in human health. Studying and handling this real ‘hidden organ' remains a challenge for clinicians. In this review, we aimed to bring information about gut microbiota, its structure, its roles and the way to capture and measure it. After bacterial colonization in infant, intestinal microbial composition is unique for each individual although more than 95% can be assigned to 4 major phyla. Besides its biodiversity, the major characteristics of gut microbiota are stability over time and resilience after perturbation. In pathological situations, dysbiosis (i.e. imbalance in gut microbiota composition) is observed with a loss in overall diversity. Dysbiosis associated with inflammatory bowel disease was specified with the reduction in biodiversity, the decreased representation of different taxa in the Firmicutes phylum and an increase in Gammaproteobacteria. Beyond depicting gut microbial composition, metagenomics allows the description of the combined genomes of the microorganisms present in the gut, giving access to their potential functions. In fact, each individual overall microbial metagenome outnumbers the size of human genome by a factor of 150. Besides a functional core in which there is redundancy for mandatory functions assuring the robustness of the ecosystem, human gut contains an important diversity and high number of non-redundant bacterial genes. Clinical data, treatment and all the factors able to influence microbiome should enter integrated big data sets to put in light pathways of interplay within the supra organism composed of gut microbiome and host. A better understanding of dynamics within human gut microbiota and microbes-host interaction will allow new insight into gut pathophysiology especially regarding resilience mechanisms and dysbiosis onset and maintenance. This will lead to description of biomarkers of diseases, development of new probiotics/prebiotics and new therapies.

scholarly journals Distinct composition and metabolic functions of human gut microbiota are associated with cachexia in lung cancer patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueqiong Ni ◽  
Zoltan Lohinai ◽  
Yoshitaro Heshiki ◽  
Balazs Dome ◽  
Judit Moldvay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Shotgun Metagenomics ◽  
Lung Cancer Patients ◽  
Microbial Species ◽  
Functional Pathways

AbstractCachexia is associated with decreased survival in cancer patients and has a prevalence of up to 80%. The etiology of cachexia is poorly understood, and limited treatment options exist. Here, we investigated the role of the human gut microbiome in cachexia by integrating shotgun metagenomics and plasma metabolomics of 31 lung cancer patients. The cachexia group showed significant differences in the gut microbial composition, functional pathways of the metagenome, and the related plasma metabolites compared to non-cachectic patients. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), methylhistamine, and vitamins were significantly depleted in the plasma of cachexia patients, which was also reflected in the depletion of relevant gut microbiota functional pathways. The enrichment of BCAAs and 3-oxocholic acid in non-cachectic patients were positively correlated with gut microbial species Prevotella copri and Lactobacillus gasseri, respectively. Furthermore, the gut microbiota capacity for lipopolysaccharides biosynthesis was significantly enriched in cachectic patients. The involvement of the gut microbiome in cachexia was further observed in a high-performance machine learning model using solely gut microbial features. Our study demonstrates the links between cachectic host metabolism and specific gut microbial species and functions in a clinical setting, suggesting that the gut microbiota could have an influence on cachexia with possible therapeutic applications.

scholarly journals New View on Dietary Fiber Selection for Predictable Shifts in Gut Microbiota

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Cantu-Jungles ◽  
B. R. Hamaker
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Dietary Fiber ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Dietary Fibers ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Human Gut Microbiota ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Fiber Selection

ABSTRACT Dietary fibers can be utilized to shape the human gut microbiota. However, the outcomes from most dietary fibers currently used as prebiotics are a result of competition between microbes with overlapping abilities to utilize these fibers. Thus, divergent fiber responses are observed across individuals harboring distinct microbial communities. Here, we propose that dietary fibers can be classified hierarchically according to their specificity toward gut microbes. Highly specific fibers harbor chemical and physical characteristics that allow them to be utilized by only a narrow group of bacteria within the gut, reducing competition for that substrate. The use of such fibers as prebiotics targeted to specific microbes would result in predictable shifts independent of the background microbial composition.

scholarly journals Bioregional Alterations in Gut Microbiome Contribute to the Plasma Metabolomic Changes in Pigs Fed with Inulin

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weida Wu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Bing Xia ◽  
Shanlong Tang ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Mantel Test ◽  
Plasma Metabolites ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Regional Effects ◽  
Host Interaction ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Branched Chain ◽  
Host Metabolism

Inulin (INU) is a non-digestible carbohydrate, known for its beneficial properties in metabolic disorders. However, whether and how gut microbiota in its regulation contributes to host metabolism has yet to be investigated. We conduct this study to examine the possible associations between the gut microbiota and circulating gut microbiota–host co-metabolites induced by inulin interventions. Plasma and intestinal site samples were collected from the pigs that have consumed inulin diet for 60 days. High-throughput sequencing was adopted for microbial composition, and the GC-TOF-MS-based metabolomics were used to characterize featured plasma metabolites upon inulin intervention. Integrated multi-omics analyses were carried out to establish microbiota–host interaction. Inulin consumption decreased the total cholesterol (p = 0.04) and glucose (p = 0.03) level in serum. Greater β-diversity was observed in the cecum and colon of inulin-fed versus that of control-fed pigs (p < 0.05). No differences were observed in the ileum. In the cecum, 18 genera were altered by inulin, followed by 17 in the colon and 6 in the ileum. Inulin increased propionate, and isobutyrate concentrations but decreased the ratio of acetate to propionate in the cecum, and increased total short fatty acids, valerate, and isobutyrate concentrations in the colon. Metabolomic analysis reveals that indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) was significantly higher, and the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), L-valine, L-isoleucine, and L-leucine are significantly lower in the inulin groups. Mantel test and integrative analysis revealed associations between plasma metabolites (e.g., IPA, BCAA, L-tryptophan) and inulin-responsive cecal microbial genera. These results indicate that the inulin has regional effects on the intestine microbiome in pigs, with the most pronounced effects occurring in the cecum. Moreover, cecum microbiota plays a pivotal role in the modulation of circulating host metabolites upon inulin intervention

scholarly journals Gut microbiota and artificial intelligence approaches: A scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1343-1358
Author(s):  
Ernesto Iadanza ◽  
Rachele Fabbri ◽  
Džana Bašić-ČiČak ◽  
Amedeo Amedei ◽  
Jasminka Hasic Telalovic
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Massive Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Massive Data Sets

Abstract This article aims to provide a thorough overview of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in studying the gut microbiota and its role in the diagnosis and treatment of some important diseases. The association between microbiota and diseases, together with its clinical relevance, is still difficult to interpret. The advances in AI techniques, such as Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), can help clinicians in processing and interpreting these massive data sets. Two research groups have been involved in this Scoping Review, working in two different areas of Europe: Florence and Sarajevo. The papers included in the review describe the use of ML or DL methods applied to the study of human gut microbiota. In total, 1109 papers were considered in this study. After elimination, a final set of 16 articles was considered in the scoping review. Different AI techniques were applied in the reviewed papers. Some papers applied ML, while others applied DL techniques. 11 papers evaluated just different ML algorithms (ranging from one to eight algorithms applied to one dataset). The remaining five papers examined both ML and DL algorithms. The most applied ML algorithm was Random Forest and it also exhibited the best performances.

scholarly journals Use of pigs as a potential model for research into dietary modulation of the human gut microbiota

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja N. Heinritz ◽  
Rainer Mosenthin ◽  
Eva Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Metabolic Activity ◽  
Potential Model ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Rodent Models ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Microbial Ecosystem ◽  
Dietary Strategies

The human intestinal microbial ecosystem plays an important role in maintaining health. A multitude of diseases including diarrhoea, gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, such as necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) of neonates, and obesity are linked to microbial composition and metabolic activity. Therefore, research on possible dietary strategies influencing microbial composition and activity, both preventive and curative, is being accomplished. Interest has focused on pre- and probiotics that stimulate the intestinal production of beneficial bacterial metabolites such as butyrate, and beneficially affect microbial composition. The suitability of an animal model to study dietary linked diseases is of much concern. The physiological similarity between humans and pigs in terms of digestive and associated metabolic processes places the pig in a superior position over other non-primate models. Furthermore, the pig is a human-sized omnivorous animal with comparable nutritional requirements, and shows similarities to the human intestinal microbial ecosystem. Also, the pig has been used as a model to assess microbiota–health interactions, since pigs exhibit similar syndromes to humans, such as NEC and partly weanling diarrhoea. In contrast, when using rodent models to study diet–microbiota–health interactions, differences between rodents and humans have to be considered. For example, studies with mice and human subjects assessing possible relationships between the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiota and the development of obesity have shown inconsistencies in results between studies. The present review displays the similarities and differences in intestinal microbial ecology between humans and pigs, scrutinising the pig as a potential animal model, with regard to possible health effects.

scholarly journals Human gut microbiota networks disturbance by parasites in indigenous communities: Effect on bacteria genera related to depression incidence subnetworks

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvia Ramírez-Carrillo ◽  
Osiris Gaona ◽  
Javier Nieto ◽  
Andrés Sánchez-Quinto ◽  
Daniel Cerqueda-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Concept Of Health ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Micro Organisms

ABSTRACTIf you think you are in control of your behavior, think again. Evidence suggests that behavioral modifications, as development and persistence of depression, may be the consequence of a complex network of communication between macro (i.e. parasites) and micro-organisms capable of modifying the physiological axis of the host. Some parasites cause significant nutritional deficiencies for the host and impair the effectiveness of cognitive processes such as memory, teaching or non-verbal intelligence. Bacterial communities mediate the establishment of parasites and vice versa but this complexity approach remains little explored. We study the gut microbiota-parasite interactions using novel techniques of network analysis using data of individuals from two indigenous communities in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Our results suggest that A. Lumbricoides, induce a gut microbiota perturbation affecting subnetworks of key species related to depression, consisting in the loss of network features such as path length, heterogeneity, number of nodes and neighbors; and especially by the loss of information emergence. Emergence is related with adaptability that has been linked to the concept of health as a critical balance between (adaptability) and self-organization (robustness). In this way, the loss of emergence means a depart from criticality and ultimately loss of health.

scholarly journals Lower Airway Virology in Health and Disease—From Invaders to Symbionts

Medicina ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Jankauskaitė ◽  
Valdonė Misevičienė ◽  
Laimutė Vaidelienė ◽  
Rimantas Kėvalas
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Colonization ◽  
Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease ◽  
Lower Airway ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Host Interaction ◽  
Chronic Lung Diseases ◽  
Culture Independent ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
The Impact

Studies of human airway virome are relatively recent and still very limited. Culture-independent microbial techniques showed growing evidence of numerous viral communities in the respiratory microbial ecosystem. The significance of different acute respiratory viruses is already known in the pathogenesis of chronic conditions, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF), or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and their exacerbations. Viral pathogens, such as influenza, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus, or rhinovirus, have been associated with impaired immune response, acute exacerbations, and decrease in lung function in chronic lung diseases. However, more data have attributed a role to Herpes family viruses or the newly identified Anelloviridae family of viruses in chronic diseases, such as asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), or CF. Impaired antiviral immunity, bacterial colonization, or used medication, such as glucocorticoids or antibiotics, contribute to the imbalance of airway microbiome and may shape the local viral ecosystem. A specific part of virome, bacteriophages, frames lung microbial communities through direct contact with its host, the specific bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa or their biofilm formation. Moreover, antibiotic resistance is induced through phages via horizontal transfer and leads to more severe exacerbations of chronic airway conditions. Morbidity and mortality of asthma, COPD, CF, and IPF remains high, despite an increased understanding and knowledge about the impact of respiratory virome in the pathogenesis of these conditions. Thus, more studies focus on new prophylactic methods or therapeutic agents directed toward viral–host interaction, microbial metabolic function, or lung microbial composition rearrangement.

scholarly journals Perspectives on the role of the human gut microbiota and its modulation by pro- and prebiotics

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni Steer ◽  
Hollie Carpenter ◽  
Kieran Tuohy ◽  
Glenn R. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Gut Microflora ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Human Gut Microbiota ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Irritable Bowel ◽  
Micro Organisms

AbstractOne of the most topical areas of human nutrition is the role of the gut in health and disease. Specifically, this involves interactions between the resident microbiota and dietary ingredients that support their activities. Currently, it is accepted that the gut microflora contains pathogenic, benign and beneficial components. Some microbially induced disease states such as acute gastroenteritis and pseudomembranous colitis have a defined aetiological agent(s). Speculation on the role of microbiota components in disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, bowel cancer, neonatal necrotising enterocolitis and ulcerative colitis are less well defined, but many studies are convincing. It is evident that the gut microflora composition can be altered through diet. Because of their perceived health-promoting status, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are the commonest targets. Probiotics involve the use of live micro-organisms in food; prebiotics are carbohydrates selectively metabolized by desirable moieties of the indigenous flora; synbiotics combine the two approaches. Dietary intervention of the human gut microbiota is feasible and has been proven as efficacious in volunteer trials. The health bonuses of such approaches offer the potential to manage many gut disorders prophylactically. However, it is imperative that the best methodologies available are applied to this area of nutritional sciences. This will undoubtedly involve a genomic application to the research and is already under way through molecular tracking of microbiota changes to diet in controlled human trials.

scholarly journals Production of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): effect of inulin on microbial composition and CLA concentration in a human intestinal model

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Carafa ◽  
Domenico Masuero ◽  
Urska Vrhovsek ◽  
Giovanni Bittante ◽  
Elena Franciosi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linoleic Acid ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Illumina Miseq ◽  
Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Human Gut Microbiota

AbstractConjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) show a number of putative health-promoting activities including anti-carcinogenic, anti-adipogenic, anti-diabetogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. CLAs are naturally produced by ruminal bacteria and several studies demonstrate that various lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also able to produce CLAs in vitro from linoleic acid (LA). However, the ability of the human gut microbiota to produce CLA is less extensively studied. Our hypothesis is that the human gut microbiota is able to convert LA to CLA, and that the readily fermentable fiber inulin would positively modulate the growth of CLA-producing bacteria and, consequently increase the CLA content in the intestine.The capability of the faecal microbiota from five healthy donors to produce CLA was tested in anaerobic batch cultures for 48 hours at pH 5.5 and 6.5. Test treatments were linoleic acid (LA; 1 mg/mL) + bovine serum albumin (BSA; 0.2 mg/mL), and LA (1 mg/mL) + BSA (0.2 mg/mL) + inulin (1%, w/v) compared to a control BSA (0.2 mg/mL) fermentation. The microbial composition was analyzed 0, 24 and 48 hours after starting the fermentation by 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq sequencing (V3-V4 region). CLAs were quantified by Ultra performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) and bi-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC).The inclusion of LA + BSA + inulin at pH 5.5 significantly increased the relative abundance of Collinsella aerofaciens (p < 0.05), and tended to increase the relative abundance of bifidobacteria. LA + BSA + inulin at both pH 5.5 and 6.5 reduced the relative abundance of Parabacteroides, Bilophila, Clostridia and Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.05). The concentration of CLA, in particular the isomer cis9,trans11 C18:2, was significantly higher in the LA + BSA + inulin group at pH 5.5 after 24 and 48 hours fermentation.The data show that the treatment LA + BSA + inulin at pH 5.5 induce substantial changes in microbiota composition, including bifidogenesis and CLA production in a human intestinal microbiota model. The changes of relative abundance detected are consistent with changes in gut bacteria previously linked to human health. Collinsella aerofaciens has been reported for reducing bloating, in particular in subjects suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, while Clostridia, Bilophila and Enterobacteriaceae causes human infections. In addition, the increase of bifidobacteria and LAB, which have previously been shown in vitro to produce CLA, may also be involved in CLA production under simulated cecal microbiome. These preclinical observations warrant confirmation in suitably designed animal and human mechanistic studies.

scholarly journals Novel approaches for analysing gut microbes and dietary polyphenols: challenges and opportunities

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (11) ◽  
pp. 3224-3231 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Kemperman ◽  
S. Bolca ◽  
L. C. Roger ◽  
E. E. Vaughan
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Fruit And Vegetables ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Dietary Polyphenols ◽  
Host Health ◽  
The Impact

Polyphenols, ubiquitously present in the food we consume, may modify the gut microbial composition and/or activity, and moreover, may be converted by the colonic microbiota to bioactive compounds that influence host health. The polyphenol content of fruit and vegetables and derived products is implicated in some of the health benefits bestowed on eating fruit and vegetables. Elucidating the mechanisms behind polyphenol metabolism is an important step in understanding their health effects. Yet, this is no trivial assignment due to the diversity encountered in both polyphenols and the gut microbial composition, which is further confounded by the interactions with the host. Only a limited number of studies have investigated the impact of dietary polyphenols on the complex human gut microbiota and these were mainly focused on single polyphenol molecules and selected bacterial populations. Our knowledge of gut microbial genes and pathways for polyphenol bioconversion and interactions is poor. Application of specific in vitro or in vivo models mimicking the human gut environment is required to analyse these diverse interactions. A particular benefit can now be gained from next-generation analytical tools such as metagenomics and metatranscriptomics allowing a wider, more holistic approach to the analysis of polyphenol metabolism. Understanding the polyphenol–gut microbiota interactions and gut microbial bioconversion capacity will facilitate studies on bioavailability of polyphenols in the host, provide more insight into the health effects of polyphenols and potentially open avenues for modulation of polyphenol bioactivity for host health.

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