Belkova Natalia, Klimenko Elizaveta, Semenova Natalya, Pogodina Anna, Rychkova Lyubov, Bugun Olga, Kolesnikova Lubov, Darenskaya Marina
Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Federal State Public Scientific Institution "Scientific Center for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems", 664003 Irkutsk, Russia.
Personalized and Preventive Medicine Department, Federal State Public Scientific Institution "Scientific Center for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems", 664003 Irkutsk, Russia.
Front Biosci (Schol Ed). 2025 Sep 22;17(3):36569. doi: 10.31083/FBS36569.
The enterotype concept allows the differentiation of gut microbiota in relation to individual characteristics and is determined by the genetics and external stressors of the host. It was previously shown that not all clustering methods can accurately identify such enterotypes. Therefore, this pilot study primarily aimed to compare different algorithms for enterotype definition and to estimate the factors that correlate with the differentiation of the gut microbiota in adolescents with different body weights.
Adolescents with normal body weight (N) and obesity (O) (aged 11-17 years) were included in this pilot study. Based on the analysis of the V3-V4 variable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon libraries, the main enterotypes of the gut microbiota of adolescents were characterized using three approaches (E-typing A, B, and C) according to the bacterial taxa that were chosen for differentiation. For sample clustering, we used Bray-Curtis, Jensen-Shannon divergence, and weighted and unweighted UniFrac distance metrics. Clustering was assessed using the silhouette index. Meanwhile, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine the relationship between enterotype and biochemical parameters.
The O and N groups comprised 18 and 22 adolescents, respectively, and, according to anthropometric data, differed significantly only in weight and body mass index (BMI). The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) plot showed that the presence of minor and rare phylotypes in the gut microbiota differed between the two groups of adolescents. The distribution of individual samples based on the principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the gut microbiomes in the adolescents were not grouped in the N or O groups but were distributed according to the composition of the main bacterial taxa. We assessed the contribution of the , , , and phylotypes to the microbiota of the adolescents in the two groups. The enterotype was significantly more represented in the N group than in the O group when the E-typing A approach to enterotyping was applied. Pairwise comparisons were performed with corrections for multiple testing between the biochemical parameter levels of the different enterotypes. Bilirubin levels were lower in adolescents with the gut microbiota enterotype than in those with the enterotype when the E-typing B approach was used for differentiation.
This pilot study comprised a small group of adolescents with normal body weight and obesity; we identified as the main enterotype, regardless of body weight. A stable microbial community is formed in the gut during adolescence, which determines its stratification by enterotype.
肠型概念有助于根据个体特征区分肠道微生物群，且由宿主的基因和外部应激源决定。此前研究表明，并非所有聚类方法都能准确识别此类肠型。因此，本初步研究主要旨在比较不同的肠型定义算法，并评估与不同体重青少年肠道微生物群分化相关的因素。
本初步研究纳入了体重正常（N）和肥胖（O）的青少年（11 - 17岁）。基于对16S核糖体RNA基因扩增子文库V3 - V4可变区的分析，根据用于区分的细菌分类群，采用三种方法（肠型分型A、B和C）对青少年肠道微生物群的主要肠型进行了表征。对于样本聚类，我们使用了布雷 - 柯蒂斯、詹森 - 香农散度以及加权和非加权的UniFrac距离度量。使用轮廓系数评估聚类情况。同时，采用Kruskal - Wallis检验来确定肠型与生化参数之间的关系。
O组和N组分别包含18名和22名青少年，根据人体测量数据，两组仅在体重和体重指数（BMI）上存在显著差异。线性判别分析效应大小（LEfSe）图显示，两组青少年肠道微生物群中次要和稀有系统发育型的存在情况不同。基于主坐标分析（PCoA）的个体样本分布表明，青少年的肠道微生物群并非按N组或O组聚类，而是根据主要细菌分类群的组成分布。我们评估了、、和系统发育型对两组青少年微生物群的贡献。当采用肠型分型A方法进行肠型分型时，N组中肠型的占比显著高于O组。对不同肠型生化参数水平进行多重检验校正后进行成对比较。当使用肠型分型B方法进行区分时，肠道微生物群为肠型的青少年的胆红素水平低于肠型的青少年。
本初步研究纳入了一小群体重正常和肥胖的青少年；我们确定为主要肠型，与体重无关。青春期肠道中形成了稳定的微生物群落，这决定了其按肠型分层。
