TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the role of gut microbiota in major depressive disorder and in treatment resistance to antidepressants
AU - Fontana, Andrea
AU - Manchia, Mirko
AU - Panebianco, Concetta
AU - Paribello, Pasquale
AU - Arzedi, Carlo
AU - Cossu, Eleonora
AU - Garzilli, Mario
AU - Montis, Maria Antonietta
AU - Mura, Andrea
AU - Pisanu, Claudia
AU - Congiu, Donatella
AU - Copetti, Massimiliano
AU - Pinna, Federica
AU - Carpiniello, Bernardo
AU - Squassina, Alessio
AU - Pazienza, Valerio
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common severe psychiatric illness, exhibiting suboptimal response to existing pharmacological treatments. Although its etiopathogenesis is still not completely understood, recent findings suggest that an altered composition of the gut microbiota might play a role. Here we aimed to explore potential differences in the composition of the gut microbiota between patients with MDD and healthy controls (HC) and to identify possible signatures of treatment response by analyzing two groups of MDD patients characterized as treatment-resistant (TR) or responders (R) to antidepressants. Stool samples were collected from 34 MDD patients (8 TR, 19 R and 7 untreated) and 20 HC. Microbiota was characterized using the 16S metagenomic approach. A penalized logistic regression analysis algorithm was applied to identify bacterial populations that best discriminate the diagnostic groups. Statistically significant differences were identified for the families of Paenibacillaceae and Flavobacteriaceaea, for the genus Fenollaria, and the species Flintibacter butyricus, Christensenella timonensis, and Eisenbergiella massiliensis among others. The phyla Proteobacteria, Tenericutes and the family Peptostreptococcaceae were more abundant in TR, whereas the phylum Actinobacteria was enriched in R patients. Moreover, a number of bacteria only characterized the microbiota of TR patients, and many others were only detected in R. Our results confirm that dysbiosis is a hallmark of MDD and suggest that microbiota of TR patients significantly differs from responders to antidepressants. This finding further supports the relevance of an altered composition of the gut microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of MDD, suggesting a role in response to antidepressants.
AB - Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common severe psychiatric illness, exhibiting suboptimal response to existing pharmacological treatments. Although its etiopathogenesis is still not completely understood, recent findings suggest that an altered composition of the gut microbiota might play a role. Here we aimed to explore potential differences in the composition of the gut microbiota between patients with MDD and healthy controls (HC) and to identify possible signatures of treatment response by analyzing two groups of MDD patients characterized as treatment-resistant (TR) or responders (R) to antidepressants. Stool samples were collected from 34 MDD patients (8 TR, 19 R and 7 untreated) and 20 HC. Microbiota was characterized using the 16S metagenomic approach. A penalized logistic regression analysis algorithm was applied to identify bacterial populations that best discriminate the diagnostic groups. Statistically significant differences were identified for the families of Paenibacillaceae and Flavobacteriaceaea, for the genus Fenollaria, and the species Flintibacter butyricus, Christensenella timonensis, and Eisenbergiella massiliensis among others. The phyla Proteobacteria, Tenericutes and the family Peptostreptococcaceae were more abundant in TR, whereas the phylum Actinobacteria was enriched in R patients. Moreover, a number of bacteria only characterized the microbiota of TR patients, and many others were only detected in R. Our results confirm that dysbiosis is a hallmark of MDD and suggest that microbiota of TR patients significantly differs from responders to antidepressants. This finding further supports the relevance of an altered composition of the gut microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of MDD, suggesting a role in response to antidepressants.
KW - Antidepressant resistance
KW - Gut-brain axis
KW - Major depressive disorder
KW - Microbiota
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090778402&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85090778402&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/biomedicines8090311
DO - 10.3390/biomedicines8090311
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85090778402
VL - 8
JO - Biomedicines
JF - Biomedicines
SN - 2227-9059
IS - 9
M1 - 311
ER -