Gut Microbiota is Altered in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

TLDR

Gut microbiota has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, but its composition and diversity in Alzheimer’s disease remain largely unknown. The study collected fecal samples from 43 Alzheimer’s patients and 43 matched controls and analyzed microbiota composition using 16S rRNA sequencing. Microbiota composition differed between groups, with distinct taxa such as Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae, and Selenomonadales altered in Alzheimer’s patients, suggesting a potential role in disease pathogenesis.

Abstract

Previous studies suggest that gut microbiota is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and depression. However, whether the composition and diversity of gut microbiota is altered in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains large ly unknown. In the present study, we collected fecal samples from 43 AD patients and 43 age- and gender-matched cognitively normal controls. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing technique was used to analyze the microbiota composition in feces. The composition of gut microbiota was different between the two groups. Several bacteria taxa in AD patients were different from those in controls at taxonomic levels, such as Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae, and Selenomonadales. Our findings suggest that gut microbiota is altered in AD patients and may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD.