Gut bacteria may be useful markers for diagnosing Parkinson’s: Analysis
Study could open avenues for targeted interventions, personalized medicine
Changes in gut bacteria may be a useful marker to help diagnose Parkinson’s disease, according to a new analysis.
The study, “Microbial biomarker discovery in Parkinson’s disease through a network-based approach,” was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
The human digestive tract is home to billions of bacteria known as the gut microbiome. These bacteria have profound effects on health that are beginning to be understood.
Several studies have suggested the gut microbiome is altered in Parkinson’s disease. Different studies have often found conflicting results, however. Since the composition of the gut microbiome varies widely from person to person, it can be hard to identify changes that are truly associated with disease.
Current diagnostic process relies on expert assessments of symptoms
In theory, identifying disease-specific gut bacteria changes could aid in diagnosing Parkinson’s. Currently, the diagnostic process relies on expert assessments of disease symptoms, which can be subjective and time-consuming.
To gain greater insight into how the gut microbiome is disrupted in Parkinson’s, scientists in China performed a meta-analysis, which is a type of study where data is pooled from multiple previous studies and analyzed collectively.
“Our current research focused on comprehensively investigating the relationship between [Parkinson’s] and the gut microbiome by integrating large-scale microbiota datasets, with the goal of identifying microbial biomarkers for [Parkinson’s] diagnosis,” the scientists wrote.
This meta-analysis included data from five prior studies conducted in the Netherlands, Finland, China, Japan, and Germany. In total, they included data from 550 people with Parkinson’s as well as 456 control subjects without the neurological disorder. In all the studies, composition of the gut microbiome was assessed by analyzing fecal samples.
Results revealed there were statistically significant changes in overall gut microbiome diversity in the Parkinson’s patients.
“These results highlighted the distinct gut microbiota profiles of [Parkinson’s] patients compared to healthy controls, suggesting the potential role of fecal microbiota as biomarkers for the diagnosis of [Parkinson’s],” the researchers wrote.
Levels of 35 different groups of bacteria could distinguish Parkinson’s
Further supporting this idea, the researchers showed that statistical tests using levels of 35 different groups of bacteria could distinguish between individuals with or without Parkinson’s with an accuracy of just over 84%.
The scientists also delved into the details of which specific types of bacteria were aberrant in Parkinson’s, highlighting several with potential roles in disease. For example, they noted that Parkinson’s patients tended to have lower-than-normal levels of the bacterial groups Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, and Coprococcus_2. These three types of bacteria are notable because they all produce an anti-inflammatory molecule called butyrate. As such, reduced levels of these bacteria could contribute to increased inflammation, which has been linked with Parkinson’s development.
“The identified microbial alterations, potential biomarkers, and functional implications offer a promising foundation for future research and clinical applications,” the scientists concluded. “By elucidating the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and [Parkinson’s] pathogenesis, this study opens avenues for targeted interventions and personalized approaches in the diagnosis and management of [Parkinson’s].”
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