gut and oral microbiota profiles in symmetric versus asymmetric Parkinson disease patients
Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibits considerable clinical heterogeneity, notably in motor symptom symmetry. This study investigates the potential differences in gut and oral microbiota between patients with symmetric and asymmetric PD, providing microbial evidence for the hypothesis of divergent pathogenic mechanisms.Sample Information: This dataset comprises microbiome profiles from 53 PD patients, clinically stratified into 30 symmetric and 23 asymmetric cases. For each participant, paired fecal and saliva samples were collected.Methodology: Microbial community analysis was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina platform. Bioinformatic processing included quality control, OTU/ASV picking, taxonomic assignment, and downstream statistical analyses to compare diversity and differential taxa abundance between the two PD subgroups.Key Findings: The dataset reveals distinct gut and oral microbial community structures. Notably, symmetric PD was associated with enrichment of specific taxa such as Desulfobacterota, which showed positive correlations with clinical severity scores.Data Utility: This dataset serves as a resource for exploring the gut-brain and oral-brain axis in PD heterogeneity. It supports investigations into microbial biomarkers for PD subtyping and the role of microbiota in disease mechanisms.