title: Correlation between body mass index and faecal microbiota from children.
abstract: Childhood obesity is an increasing problem at the global level and considered as a risk factor for obesity development and the associated co-morbidities in adult life. In this study, the occurrence of Bacteroides fragilis group, Clostridium spp., Bifidobacterium spp. and Escherichia coli in 84 faecal samples from 30 obese, 24 overweight and 30 lean children was verified by culture technique and quantitative determination by quantitative PCR. In addition, Lactobacillus spp. and Methanobrevibacter smithii were also analysed. A correlation between the body mass index (BMI) and these bacteria was sought. Bacteroides vulgatus, Clostridium perfringens and Bifidobacterium adolescentis were most prevalent in all samples evaluated by culture-method. The B. fragilis group were found at high concentrations in obese and overweight children when compared with the lean ones (p 0.015). The obese and overweight children harboured higher numbers of Lactobacillus spp. than lean children (p 0.022). The faecal concentrations of the B. fragilis group (r = 0.24; p 0.026) and Lactobacillus spp. (r = 0.44; p 0.002) were positively correlated with BMI. Bifidobacterium spp. were found in higher numbers in the lean group than the overweight and obese ones (p 0.042). Furthermore, a negative correlation between BMI and Bifidobacterium spp. copy number (r = -0.22; p 0.039) was observed. Our findings show some difference in the intestinal microbial ecosystem of obese children compared with the lean ones and a significant association between number of Lactobacillus spp. and B. fragilis group and BMI.
authors.affiliation: Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ignacio
authors.affiliation: Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: V A A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Groppo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Children, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Avila-Campos
authors.affiliation: Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: vivinkn@usp.br.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods; D064307:Microbiota; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Anaerobic bacteria; Escherichia coli; body mass index; childhood obesity; faecal microbiota; quantitative PCR