The Association between the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes Ratio and Body Mass among European Population with the Highest Proportion of Adults with Obesity: An Observational Follow-Up Study from Croatia

Autor: Andrija Karačić, Ira Renko, Željko Krznarić, Sanja Klobučar, Ana-Marija Liberati Pršo
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Biomedicines, Vol 12, Iss 10, p 2263 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2227-9059
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12102263
Popis: Background/Objectives: The phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are the main constituents of the gut microbiota. An imbalance in the gut microbiota is a sign of dysbiosis, and the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio has been proposed to be a marker of it, especially in the context of obesity. Since Croatia is the country with one of the highest obesity rates in Europe, a pilot observational study was conducted. The aim of the study was to investigate the validity of this potential biomarker in a methodological study using sample processing, DNA sequence analysis and characterization of recruited participants, including various health factors. Methods: A study involving Croatian population was conducted. Participants age, body weight, gender, health history and lifestyle factors were recorded. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. The F/B ratio was calculated and evaluated in the context of health factors. Statistical analysis was performed to detect the possible association of F/B ratio and excess body weight (kg) and possible impact of certain lifestyle factors. Results: No association between the F/B ratio and excess body weight (kg) was found. Excess body weight was significantly associated with higher age, male gender, and history of appendectomy. No significant health predictors of the F/B ratio were found, but weight gain was positively associated with a higher average F/B ratio. Conclusions: Although this study could not confirm the predictive value of the F/B ratio or any other phyla-related biomarker for excess body weight in the study population, it demonstrated interesting insights into the obesity-associated gut microbiota.
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