Associations between micronutrient intakes and gut microbiota in a group of adults with cystic fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) involves chronic inflammation and oxidative stress affecting mainly the respiratory and digestive systems. Survival rates for CF have improved with advances in treatment including nutritional interventions such as micronutrient supplementation. Diet can modulate gut microbiota in the general population with consequences on local and systemic immunity, and inflammation. The gut microbiota appears disrupted and may associate with pulmonary status in CF. This study investigated associations between micronutrient intakes and gut microbiota variations in a group of adults with CF.



Faecal microbiota of sixteen free-living adults with CF was profiled by 16ss rDNA sequencing on the GS-FLX platform. Associations were tested between UniFrac distances of faecal microbiota and time-corresponding micronutrient intakes. Associations between relative abundances of bacterial taxa and micronutrient intakes (those showing significant associations with UniFrac distances) were examined by Spearman correlation.



Unweighted UniFrac distances were associated with intakes of potassium and antioxidant vitamins C, E and beta-carotene equivalents, whereas weighted UniFrac distances were associated with antioxidant vitamins riboflavin, niacin equivalents, beta-carotene equivalents and vitamin A equivalents. Intakes of beta-carotene equivalents, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacin equivalents and riboflavin correlated negatively with Bacteroides and/or its corresponding higher level taxa. Intakes of beta-carotene equivalents and vitamin E also positively correlated with Firmicutes and specific taxa belonging to Firmicutes.



Some micronutrients, particularly antioxidant vitamins, correlated with gut microbiota variations in the studied cohort. Further research is required to clarify whether antioxidant vitamin intakes can influence CF gut microbiota and potential clinical/therapeutic implications in CF.
School of Medicine, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Li
L
Li
The University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Lutz
L
Krause
School of Medicine, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: shawn.somerset@acu.edu.au.
Shawn
S
Somerset
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019295:Computational Biology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D064806:Dysbiosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058889:Molecular Typing; D009517:New South Wales; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011793:Queensland; D057566:Self Report
D000975:Antioxidants; D018977:Micronutrients
Antioxidant vitamins; Cystic fibrosis; Gut microbiota; Inflammation