Cross-sectional study of antimicrobial resistance and ecology in gastrointestinal and oral microbial communities of urban Pakistani adults

Abstract

Background and Aims: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious global public health threats affecting lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) due to lack of awareness, inadequate healthcare and sanitation infrastructure, plus other environmental factors. In this study, we aimed to link microbial assembly and covariates (body mass index, smoking, use of antibiotics) to gut microbiome structure and correlate AMR gene prevalence. Methods: We examined the gastrointestinal and oral microbial profiles of healthy adults in Pakistan through 16S rRNA gene sequencing with a focus on different ethnicities, antibiotic usage, drinking water type, smoking, and other demographic measures. We then utilised a suite of innovative statistical tools, driven by numerical ecology and machine learning, to address the above aims. Results: We observed tap water as the main contributor for development of AMR in the Pakistani cohort. In addition, microbial niche breadth analysis based on null modelling procedures highlighted an aberrant gut microbial signature of smokers with increased age. Conclusions: Drinking water plays a more important role in AMR spread in Pakistan rather than other factors considered. Moreover, covariates such as smoking, and age impact the human microbial community structure in this Pakistani cohort. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies that provide a snapshot of the microbiomes of healthy individuals in Pakistan and considers AMR profiles with an emphasis on potential sources of AMR prevalence.

Associations between Wastewater Microbiome and Population Smoking Rate Identified Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

“…Desulfovibrio produces hydrogen sulfide and lipopolysaccharide, which can trigger alpha-synuclein accumulation, potentially contributing to Parkinson’s disease . Another biomarker, Megamonas , was reported to be involved in the fermentation of glucose to produce propionic and butyric acids, and its levels were elevated in the gut microbiome of smokers and those with higher BMI, correlating with the inflammatory phenotype of the host …”