Gut microbial signatures and differences in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia of emerging adulthood

Abstract

Introduction Gut microbial disturbance has been established as potential pathogenesis of mental disorders. However, the signatures and differences regarding patients with schizophrenia (SCH) or bipolar disorder (BD) in emerging adulthood as well as their subtypes have been poorly addressed. Methods In the present study, stool samples obtained from 63 emerging adult patients with schizophrenia (SCH), 50 with bipolar disorder (BD), and 40 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing; psychiatric symptoms and psychological, social, and professional functioning were also assessed. Results We found that gut microbiota composition was remarkably changed in the patients with SCH and BD. Moreover, the distinct gut microbiome signatures and their potential function in bipolar depression (BP‐D) and SCH with predominantly negative symptoms (SCH‐N) as well as bipolar mania (BP‐M) and SCH with predominantly positive symptoms (SCH‐P) were also observed. Furthermore, we identified diagnostic potential biomarkers that can distinguish BD from HC (38 genera, AUC = 0.961), SCH from HC (32 genera, AUC = 0.962), and BD from Scheme (13 genera, AUC = 0.823). Potential diagnostic biomarkers that can distinguish BD‐D from SCH‐N (16 genera, AUC = 0.969) and BD‐M from SCH‐P (31 genera, AUC = 0.938) were also identified. Conclusion This study provides further understanding of abnormal gut microbiome in emerging adulthood patients with SCH and BD and lay the potential foundation for the development of microbe‐based clinical diagnosis for BD and SCH.

Maternal Supplementation with N-Acetylcysteine Modulates the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Offspring of the Poly I:C Rat Model of Schizophrenia

“…In addition, we also found a negative correlation between hippocampal volume and Sphingobacteriaceae taxa in MIS offspring from dams treated with NAC for 21 days. Alterations in this family have been linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder [ 63 ], as well as other inflammatory-based diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [ 64 , 65 ], in which anxiety and depression are also present, and these are two distinctive features also described in the MIS model [ 66 , 67 ]. Of note, a large majority of cognitive impairments in the MIS model are possible through changes in the hippocampal function [ 68 ].…”

Methadone maintenance treatment is more effective than compulsory detoxification in addressing gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by heroin abuse

“…Gut microbiota has emerged as a valuable biomarker for differentiating individuals with schizophrenia from those with bipolar disorder, and distinguishing patients with major depressive disorder from healthy controls (Liu et al, 2021;Chen et al, 2023). However, there is currently a lack of research investigating the potential of gut microbiota in distinguishing the different states of HUD patients.…”

Characterization of gut microbiota profile in Iranian patients with bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls

“…There have been persistent efforts to find new ways to diagnose and treat BD, and several methods have been proposed ( Culpepper, 2014 ). However, this disorder is still classified and recognized by its phenotypic characteristics, and there is no verified biomarker to distinguish bipolar patients (BPs) from healthy individuals ( Chen et al. ; Lichtenstein et al., 2009 ; Van Snellenberg and De Candia, 2009 ).…”