Gut microbiome dysbiosis across early Parkinson’s disease, REM sleep behavior disorder and their first-degree relatives

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 2501
• Main Authors: Huang, Bei, Chau, Steven W. H., Liu, Yaping, Chan, Joey W. Y., Wang, Jing, Ma, Suk Ling, Zhang, Jihui, Chan, Paul K. S., Yeoh, Yun Kit, Chen, Zigui, Zhou, Li, Wong, Sunny Hei, Mok, Vincent C. T., To, Ka Fai, Lai, Hei Ming, Ng, Simon, Trenkwalder, Claudia, Chan, Francis K. L., Wing, Yun Kwok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.05.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 38/23; 38/77; 631/326/107; 631/378/1689/1718; 692/617/375/1816; 9/26; Antidepressants; Behavior disorders; Brain; Cross-Sectional Studies; Digestive system; Dysbacteriosis; Dysbiosis - complications; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Laxatives; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Movement disorders; multidisciplinary; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson's disease; REM sleep; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sleep; Sleep disorders
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38248-4

The microbiota-gut-brain axis has been suggested to play an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here we performed a cross-sectional study to profile gut microbiota across early PD, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), first-degree relatives of RBD (RBD-FDR), and healthy controls, which could reflect the gut-brain staging model of PD. We show gut microbiota compositions are significantly altered in early PD and RBD compared with control and RBD-FDR. Depletion of butyrate-producing bacteria and enrichment of pro-inflammatory Collinsella have already emerged in RBD and RBD-FDR after controlling potential confounders including antidepressants, osmotic laxatives, and bowel movement frequency. Random forest modelling identifies 12 microbial markers that are effective to distinguish RBD from control. These findings suggest that PD-like gut dysbiosis occurs at the prodromal stages of PD when RBD develops and starts to emerge in the younger RBD-FDR subjects. The study will have etiological and diagnostic implications. Microbiota-gut-brain axis may play an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, the authors assess gut microbiota in early PD, REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) and first-degree relatives of RBD and show PD-like gut dysbiosis occurs in RBD and their first-degree relatives.