Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2016; 18(3):212-225
To characterize gut microbiota composition in patients with different body weight.
A total of 92 patients (mean age: 52.8 years) with different body mass index (BMI), with or without abdominal obesity were enrolled in the study. A metagenomic analysis as an assessment of 16S rRNA gene diversity in a total DNA sample was performed according to 16S Metagenomic Sequencing Library Preparation protocol. Taxonomic composition of the samples was evaluated using 16S rRNA gene sequences database Greengenes v. 13.5 and RDP classifier.
The most predominant bacteria belonged to two predominant phyla – Bacteroidetes (15.1±11.1%) and Firmicutes (68.2±11.9%). Patients with abdominal obesity had gut flora with a lower percentage of Firmicutes. Abdominal obesity was significantly and positively associated with the prevalence of the genus Serratia, Blautia, Prevotella, while negatively associated with the prevalence of the genus Oscillospira, Thermodesulfovibrio, Caloramator, Petrotoga, Caldilinea, Sphingobacterium, Thermovenabulum, Johnsonella. BMI had significant positive correlation with the prevalence of genus Serratia, Prevotella, and negative correlation with the prevalence of the genus Oscillospira, Alkaliphilus, Caloramator, Petrotoga. Division of the patients into three groups by BMI (corresponding to normal weight, overweight, and general obesity) showed significant and positive correlation of BMI with the prevalence of the genus Serratia, Heliorestis, and negative correlation of BMI with the genus Oscillospira, Alkaliphilus, Caloramator.
Among all of the bacteria identified, the genus Oscillospira was more significantly associated with general and abdominal obesity and, therefore, might be considered as an obesity marker.