AUTHOR=Yan Hao , Liang Xinyuan , Luo Huijuan , Tang Xiaomei , Xiao Xiaomin 

TITLE=Association between gut microbiota, microbial network, and immunity in pregnancy with a focus on specific bacterial clusters

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1314257

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1314257

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=The community characteristics of the gut microbiota are not well defined and are not as widely studied as the functions of individual bacteria. This study aims to investigate the community composition of intestinal flora in women of childbearing age by conducting cluster analysis of gut microbiota and analyzing the relationship between different clusters and immune status. In this study, 45 women of childbearing age were recruited in the study, including 15 non-pregnant women and 30 women in late pregnancy, and stool samples were collected twice during the third trimester, specifically at 32 weeks and at full term. The results showed that women of childbearing age exhibited three distinct clusters of intestinal community composition. Cluster 1 (PAM_1) was characterized by a high abundance of Bacteroides, while cluster 2 (PAM_2) showed higher levels of Bifidobacterium and Blautia, along with a significantly increased Firmicutes to Bacteroidota ratio. Cluster 3 (PAM_3) displayed a high abundance of Escherichia-shigella. PAM_1 was the most dominant cluster in non-pregnant women, and this dominant cluster was also one of the main in late pregnancy. At full term, the majority of subjects retained the same cluster as at 32 weeks, while a few experienced a shift. The microbial correlation networks differed across the three clusters, with PAM_1 exhibiting higher modularity and fewer connections. Analysis of the correlation between genera and plasma cytokines showed significant differences in their associations with cytokines between pregnancy and non-pregnancy within the same cluster, and the same genera had different effects in different clusters. These results indicated a distinct distribution of gut microbiota in women of childbearing age, and the composition of intestinal clusters altered during late pregnancy in a small population. Moreover, different clusters may have diverse immunomodulatory effects in different physiological states. When studying the gut microbiome during pregnancy, it is crucial to consider the cluster differences within healthy women. More attention should be 2 / 14 given to the community characteristics of specific genera.