Microbiome Mediates Development of PTSD and Resilience

Abstract

Identification of youth at risk for post-traumatic pathology is critical for public health, medicine, and social policy but research has not yet succeeded in pinpointing biomarkers that can distinguish the post-traumatic from the resilient profile in contexts of trauma. As trauma alters the microbiome with lasting effects on the host, the current longitudinal, multi-measure, cross-species study sought to outline the microbial signature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We followed a unique trauma-exposed cohort for 15 years, from early childhood to adolescence, repeatedly assessing post-traumatic symptomatology. Gut microbiome composition and diversity characterized post-traumatic pathology, distinguished youth with PTSD from resilient individuals, and mediated the continuity of post-traumatic disorder. Mother-child microbial synchrony was reduced in cases of PTSD, suggesting that diminished microbial concordance among family members may index susceptibility to post-traumatic illness. Germ-free mice transplanted with PTSD microbiomes compared with those receiving resilient microbiomes exhibited anxious behavior. Our findings provide causative evidence that the microbial trauma profile is at least partially responsible for the trauma-related phenotype and highlight microbial underpinnings of resilience. Our results suggest that the microbial ecology may serve as additional biological memory of early life stress and underscore the potential for microbiome-related diagnosis and treatment following trauma exposure.

Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic possibilities of short-chain fatty acids in posttraumatic stress disorder patients: a mini-review

“…Ella Levert-Levitt and colleagues discovered that a distinct microbiota pattern characterized by reduced levels of certain bacteria, such as sp_HMT_914, sp_HMT_332, and sp_871, along with Noxia, was associated with the severity of PTSD symptoms, including intrusive thoughts, heightened arousal, and reactivity, as well as other psychological issues, such as anxiety, hostility, memory problems, and unexplained pain (Levert-Levitt et al, 2022). Feldman et al (2022) examined mother-child pairs and found that microbial trauma profiles, especially those from the genera Dialister and Veillonella, were linked to trauma-related phenotypes (Feldman et al, 2022). Finally, Yoo et al (2023 investigated the gut microbiota of firefighters, revealing associations between specific bacterial taxa (Lachnospiraceae blautia, Lachnospiraceae coprococcus, and Alistipes onderdonkii) and PTSD symptom severity.…”

“… Feldman et al (2022) examined mother–child pairs and found that microbial trauma profiles, especially those from the genera Dialister and Veillonella , were linked to trauma-related phenotypes ( Feldman et al, 2022 ). Finally, Yoo et al (2023) investigated the gut microbiota of firefighters, revealing associations between specific bacterial taxa ( Lachnospiraceae blautia , Lachnospiraceae coprococcus , and Alistipes onderdonkii ) and PTSD symptom severity.…”