Exploring Longitudinal Gut Microbiome towards Metabolic Functional Changes Associated in Atopic Dermatitis in Early Childhood

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent inflammatory skin disease that has been associated with changes in gut microbial composition in early life. However, there are limited longitudinal studies examining the gut microbiome in AD. This study aimed to explore taxonomy and metabolic functions across longitudinal gut microbiomes associated with AD in early childhood from 9 to 30 months of age using integrative data analysis within the Thai population. Our analysis revealed that gut microbiome diversity was not different between healthy and AD groups; however, significant taxonomic differences were observed. Key gut bacteria with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production potentials, such as Anaerostipes, Butyricicoccus, Ruminococcus, and Lactobacillus species, showed a higher abundance in the AD group. In addition, metabolic alterations between the healthy and AD groups associated with vitamin production and host immune response, such as biosynthesis of menaquinol, succinate, and (Kdo)2-lipid A, were observed. This study serves as the first framework for monitoring longitudinal microbial imbalances and metabolic functions associated with allergic diseases in Thai children during early childhood.