Gut health of children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, frequently manifested by gastrointestinal symptoms. The investigation of alterations in the gut microbiome and its role in the gut-brain axis communication is a promising field that may aid in the understanding of ASD symptoms. The present study thus focused on a preliminary investigation of the diversity, presence and drug-resistance of particular bacterial species in the gut microbiota of ASD and neurotypical children. The study was performed in a case-control manner and the relevant information of the participants was collected using dedicated questionnaires. Stool samples were collected from urban residents and the differences in microbial communities between the study and control groups were investigated and compared using culture-dependent methods. Since phages are considered as alternatives to antibiotics, as well as a promising tool for the re-instatement of disturbed microbiotas, antibiotic resistance and phage susceptibility profiles of the isolated intestinal pathogens were defined simultaneously. As a result, antibiotic resistant and phage susceptible β-haemolytic Escherichia coli, but no Clostridioides difficile were detected in the collected sample. The differences in intestinal health and gut microbiota between the study groups were minor. On the whole, the findings of the present study may provide the basis for an extended metagenomics study of microbiota in the ASD population.