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Gut microbiota in children and adolescents with autism, ADHD and anorexia nervosa, and its link to the levels of satiety hormones
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anorexia nervosa (AN) significantly impact affected individuals and their families. This study investigated differences in gut microbiota composition, neurotrophic factors, intestinal inflammation biomarkers, and food intake-regulating hormones between affected children and healthy controls. Given the abnormal eating behaviors associated with these disorders, the levels of food intake-regulating hormones and their interrelations with other parameters were explored. The cohort comprised 117 children, including 65 patients (30 boys with ASD, 21 girls with AN, and 14 patients with ADHD) and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy children. The findings revealed several common patterns of dysbiosis across the disorders. Richness was lower in ASD and ADHD, while the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio was higher in all disorders. Notably, Desulfovibriota abundance increased in ADHD and AN, and Escherichia-Shigella was elevated in ASD and ADHD. Conversely, Faecalibacterium abundance decreased in ADHD and AN, with a common reduction in Bifidobacterium. Children with ASD exhibited elevated Bacteroidetes and diminished Actinobacteriota and Ruminococcus, while those with ADHD showed reduced Firmicutes. Girls with AN had decreased Firmicutes and increased Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Verrucomicrobiota. Levels of calprotectin, zonulin, and neurotrophic factors showed no significant differences across groups. However, lower peptide YY (PYY) levels were noted in ADHD, alongside reduced PYY, leptin, and ghrelin levels in AN patients. These findings suggest notable similarities in the resemblance of microbiotic taxa across all patient cohorts, highlighting the potential influence of gut microbiota composition on the behavioral manifestations of mental disorders. [NPID: Autism, ASD, food intake hormones, ADHD, microbiota, dysbiosis, behavioral manifestations]
Year: 2025
