Gut microbiota composition is associated with body weight, weight gain and biochemical parameters in pregnant women

Abstract

Obesity is associated with complications during pregnancy and increased health risks in the newborn. The objective of the present study was to establish possible relationships between gut microbiota, body weight, weight gain and biochemical parameters in pregnant women. Fifty pregnant women were classified according to their BMI in normal-weight (n 34) and overweight (n 16) groups. Gut microbiota composition was analysed by quantitative real-time PCR in faeces and biochemical parameters in plasma at 24 weeks of pregnancy. Reduced numbers of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides and increased numbers of Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia coli were detected in overweight compared with normal-weight pregnant women. E. coli numbers were higher in women with excessive weight gain than in women with normal weight gain during pregnancy, while Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia muciniphila showed an opposite trend. In the whole population, increased total bacteria and Staphylococcus numbers were related to increased plasma cholesterol levels. Increased Bacteroides numbers were related to increased HDL-cholesterol and folic acid levels, and reduced TAG levels. Increased Bifidobacterium numbers were related to increased folic acid levels. Increased Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli numbers were related to increased ferritin and reduced transferrin, while Bifidobacterium levels showed the opposite trend. Therefore, gut microbiota composition is related to body weight, weight gain and metabolic biomarkers during pregnancy, which might be of relevance to the management of the health of women and infants.

Gut microbiota: a source of novel tools to reduce the risk of human disease?

“…It is of particular interest that changes in gut microbiota species and diversity observed in the first weeks or months of life appear to precede the development of atopic disease and atopic immune phenotype (37)(38)(39)(40). We have also reported aberrant early gut microbiota composition in infants who later become overweight (18,19). It must be noted, however, that it is questionable whether the microbiota alterations are really cause or consequence of a specific disease; however, it has been proven a direct relationship between alterations in microbiota composition and diversity and high risk to develop specific diseases as obesity and allergy as an example of the most common problem in infant population.…”

“…Maternal health issues such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and history of atopic disease have been shown to impact meconium microbiota composition (8,16). Furthermore, specific shifts in maternal gut microbial composition have been associated with maternal factors such as body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy (17,18). In one of the first long-term follow-up studies, early differences in fecal microbiota composition could predict overweight in children in later life (19).…”

“…In pregnant women with obesity, a vicious cycle of nonfavorable metabolic development may be generated if their altered gut microbiota composition is transferred to the infant (20,21). We have shown that microbiota composition during pregnancy has an impact on fetal health programming, Review presumably through altered serum biochemical variables of relevance to nutritional and health status (17,18). In addition, maternal health including conditions such as allergy and obesity may affect milk microbiota, resulting in reduced levels of Bifidobacterium spp.…”

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, the Gut Microbiome, and Diet

“…The most prominent Actinobacteria are Bifidobacteriaceae (Bifidobacterium), and the most abundant Proteobacteria are the Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia) (15,16). Although the functions of most Firmicutes are not yet clear, there is some evidence that indicates that some members of this phylum are among the butyrate-producing bacteria that increase energy extraction from the diet (17)(18)(19). On the other hand, members of the phylum Bacteroidetes participate in carbohydrate metabolism and accomplish this by expressing enzymes similar to glycosyl transferases, glycoside hydrolases, and polysaccharide lyases (20).…”

Of the bugs that shape us: maternal obesity, the gut microbiome, and long-term disease risk

“…Overweight pregnant women were found to have significantly higher levels of Bacteroides and Staphylococcus, where pregnancy weight gain was correlated with Bacteroides number (57). In contrast, Santacruz et al detected an increase in Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli in overweight pregnant women and a decrease in Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides (63), not dissimilar to observations made in non-pregnant obese individuals. Although maternal overweight and excess weight gain during pregnancy causes aberrant gut microbiota, distinctly different from that of normal weight pregnant women, little is known about the impact of this dysbiosis on maternal or fetal metabolism during pregnancy.…”