Effect of ethnicity and socioeconomic variation to the gut microbiota composition among pre-adolescent in Malaysia.
Gut microbiota plays an important role in mammalian host metabolism and physiological functions. The functions are particularly important in young children where rapid mental and physical developments are taking place. Nevertheless, little is known about the gut microbiome and the factors that contribute to microbial variation in the gut of South East Asian children. Here, we compared the gut bacterial richness and composition of pre-adolescence in Northern Malaysia. Our subjects covered three distinct ethnic groups with relatively narrow range of socioeconomic discrepancy. These included the Malays (n = 24), Chinese (n = 17) and the Orang Asli (indigenous) (n = 20). Our results suggested a strong ethnicity and socioeconomic-linked bacterial diversity. Highest bacterial diversity was detected from the economically deprived indigenous children while the lowest diversity was recorded from the relatively wealthy Chinese children. In addition, predicted functional metagenome profiling suggested an over-representation of pathways pertinent to bacterial colonisation and chemotaxis in the former while the latter exhibited enriched gene pathways related to sugar metabolism.
Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Chun Wie
CW
Chong
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Arine Fadzlun
AF
Ahmad
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Yvonne Ai Lian
YA
Lim
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Cindy Shuan Ju
CS
Teh
Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Ivan Kok Seng
IK
Yap
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Soo Ching
SC
Lee
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Yuee Teng
YT
Chin
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 10010 New York, United States of America.
P'ng
P
Loke
Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kek Heng
KH
Chua
D000293:Adolescent; D044822:Biodiversity; D002648:Child; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005006:Ethnicity; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D016014:Linear Models; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal