A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic
<b>Background</b>: The gut–brain axis, significantly influenced by the gut microbiome, is a growing focus in mental health research. This study aimed to investigate gut microbiome differences between anxious and non-anxious participants. <b>Methods</b>: A convenience sample o...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Gastroenterology Insights |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7422/15/4/72 |
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| author | Sabine Hazan Mathilda von Guttenberg Adriana C. Vidal Norman M. Spivak Alexander Bystritsky |
| author_facet | Sabine Hazan Mathilda von Guttenberg Adriana C. Vidal Norman M. Spivak Alexander Bystritsky |
| author_sort | Sabine Hazan |
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| description | <b>Background</b>: The gut–brain axis, significantly influenced by the gut microbiome, is a growing focus in mental health research. This study aimed to investigate gut microbiome differences between anxious and non-anxious participants. <b>Methods</b>: A convenience sample of 119 participants consisted of 56 participants with self-assessed low to zero levels of anxiety and 63 with self-assessed mild to severe levels of anxiety, using the self-rated Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) test. Fresh stool samples were collected for bacterial DNA extraction. DNA library preparation was performed using shotgun methodology, sequenced with the NextSeq 500/550 High Output v2.5 300 cycle kit, and mapped using minimap2. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted using One Codex. <b>Results</b>: The study participants were all of white race/ethnicity and the mean age, 54 (anxious group) vs. 55 (non-anxious) yr old, was not different between groups (<i>p</i> = 0.75). In the anxious group, 33% were females versus 25% in the non-anxious group, <i>p</i> = 0.46. Six percent of the anxious group reported a prior diagnosis of depression and 8% had irritable bowel syndrome, compared to none in the non-anxious group (<i>p</i> = 0.02, <i>p</i> = 0.006, respectively). Mann–Whitney tests revealed higher relative abundances of the genera <i>Clostridioides</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.011) and <i>Bacteroides</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.002) in the anxious group. Conversely, the anxious group had lower levels of the genera <i>Bifidobacterium</i> (<i>p</i> = 2.118 × 10<sup>−10</sup>), <i>Faecalibacterium</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.020), and the Phylum Actinobacteria (<i>p</i> = 1.516 × 10<sup>−8</sup>). <b>Conclusions</b>: Our findings corroborate previous studies, showing significant gut microbiome differences between anxious individuals and their non-anxious counterparts. These results support further exploration of microbiome-centric anxiety research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6f2fe792699946f5bc0e729b4b070ad7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2036-7414 2036-7422 |
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| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-6f2fe792699946f5bc0e729b4b070ad72024-12-27T14:27:43ZengMDPI AGGastroenterology Insights2036-74142036-74222024-12-011541054106310.3390/gastroent15040072A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI ClinicSabine Hazan0Mathilda von Guttenberg1Adriana C. Vidal2Norman M. Spivak3Alexander Bystritsky4Microbiome Research Foundation, 1845 Knoll Drive, Ventura, CA 93003, USASemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USAMicrobiome Research Foundation, 1845 Knoll Drive, Ventura, CA 93003, USASemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USASemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA<b>Background</b>: The gut–brain axis, significantly influenced by the gut microbiome, is a growing focus in mental health research. This study aimed to investigate gut microbiome differences between anxious and non-anxious participants. <b>Methods</b>: A convenience sample of 119 participants consisted of 56 participants with self-assessed low to zero levels of anxiety and 63 with self-assessed mild to severe levels of anxiety, using the self-rated Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) test. Fresh stool samples were collected for bacterial DNA extraction. DNA library preparation was performed using shotgun methodology, sequenced with the NextSeq 500/550 High Output v2.5 300 cycle kit, and mapped using minimap2. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted using One Codex. <b>Results</b>: The study participants were all of white race/ethnicity and the mean age, 54 (anxious group) vs. 55 (non-anxious) yr old, was not different between groups (<i>p</i> = 0.75). In the anxious group, 33% were females versus 25% in the non-anxious group, <i>p</i> = 0.46. Six percent of the anxious group reported a prior diagnosis of depression and 8% had irritable bowel syndrome, compared to none in the non-anxious group (<i>p</i> = 0.02, <i>p</i> = 0.006, respectively). Mann–Whitney tests revealed higher relative abundances of the genera <i>Clostridioides</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.011) and <i>Bacteroides</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.002) in the anxious group. Conversely, the anxious group had lower levels of the genera <i>Bifidobacterium</i> (<i>p</i> = 2.118 × 10<sup>−10</sup>), <i>Faecalibacterium</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.020), and the Phylum Actinobacteria (<i>p</i> = 1.516 × 10<sup>−8</sup>). <b>Conclusions</b>: Our findings corroborate previous studies, showing significant gut microbiome differences between anxious individuals and their non-anxious counterparts. These results support further exploration of microbiome-centric anxiety research.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7422/15/4/72gut-microbiomegut–brain axisanxiety |
| spellingShingle | Sabine Hazan Mathilda von Guttenberg Adriana C. Vidal Norman M. Spivak Alexander Bystritsky A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic Gastroenterology Insights gut-microbiome gut–brain axis anxiety |
| title | A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic |
| title_full | A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic |
| title_fullStr | A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic |
| title_short | A Convenience Sample Looking at Microbiome Differences Between Anxious and Non-Anxious Patients in a GI Clinic |
| title_sort | convenience sample looking at microbiome differences between anxious and non anxious patients in a gi clinic |
| topic | gut-microbiome gut–brain axis anxiety |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7422/15/4/72 |
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