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Clostridium shows a higher abundance in less neurovascular and neurodegenerative changes: A microbiome‐wide association study
Author(s) -
KaramujićČomić Hata,
Ahmad Shahzad,
Radjabzadeh Djawad,
Bonnechere Bruno,
KaddurahDaouk Rima F.,
Kraaij Robert,
Ikram M. Arfan,
Amin Najaf,
van Duijn Cornelia M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.044743
Subject(s) - clostridiales , microbiome , population , neurovascular bundle , biology , cognitive decline , relative species abundance , hyperintensity , confounding , medicine , abundance (ecology) , bioinformatics , genetics , clostridium , ecology , magnetic resonance imaging , anatomy , disease , environmental health , dementia , radiology , bacteria
Background There is an important interplay between the gut microbiome and brain, commonly known as the gut‐brain‐axis. Several studies addressed the role of the microbiome in neurologic diseases. Here, we studied the role of microbiota in cognitive function, neurovascular changes, and neurodegenerative changes in the general population. Method In the population‐based Rotterdam Study, we studied the association between microbial taxa and cognitive function in 1,184 participants and the association between microbial taxa and neurovascular and neurodegenerative traits, measured on brain magnetic resonance imaging, in 1,241 participants. Gut microbiota were profiled using 16 s rRNA gene sequencing. We used linear regression analysis to study these associations and adjusted for major confounders, i.e., age, sex, technical covariates, medication use, alcohol, smoking, body mass index, and hypertension. Result We found that the genus Clostridium sensu stricto 1 showed a higher abundance in participants with better cognitive function (beta(β)(standard error(SE)) 0.023(0.01), p = 3.22 × 10 −2 ), larger global brain volume (β(SE) 0.0019(0.0006), p = 1.83 × 10 −3 ), less white matter hyperintensities (β(SE) ‐0.024(0.007), p = 5.38 × 10 −4 ), and smaller lateral ventricular volume (β(SE) ‐0.013(0.005), p = 1.81 × 10 −2 ). The family Clostridiaceae 1 also showed a higher abundance in these traits, with the same direction of effect and very similar effect estimates. The class Clostridia , order Clostridiales , family Christensenellaceae , and genus Christensenellaceae R7 group showed a higher abundance in better cognition. Of note is that the agreement of our findings with those of studies of Alzheimer’s disease is high. Conclusion Clostridium shows a higher abundance in less neurovascular changes, in less neurodegenerative changes, and in better cognition. We find that different microbiota are associated to neurovascular and neurodegenerative pathology.