Metagenomics of the Gut Microbiome in Parkinson Disease and Prodromal Conditions

Can metagenomics distinguish patients with Parkinson disease from both those with prodromal conditions and healthy people?

This nested case–control study was conducted to study the gut microbiome in Parkinson disease (PD). Fecal metagenomes were analyzed from the Nurses' Health Study and from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants included 75 patients with recent-onset PD, 101 with prodromal PD symptoms, 113 with constipation only, and a control group of 131 healthy people. Omnibus and feature-wise analyses adjusted for potential confounders focused on the identification of microbial taxonomic, functional prodromal, and PD features. The analyses also identified bacterial species and pathways associated with prodromal and recent-onset PD.

The results revealed a depletion of several strict anaerobes in the PD and prodromal groups; these bacteria ha…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)