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Is Gut Microbiota a Key Player in Epilepsy Onset? A Longitudinal Study in Drug-Naive Children

Authors :
Camilla Ceccarani
Ilaria ViganĂ²
Emerenziana Ottaviano
Maria Gaia Redaelli
Marco Severgnini
Aglaia Vignoli
Elisa Borghi
Source :
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, Vol 11 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2021.

Abstract

Microbiota alterations have been recently investigated in individuals with epilepsy and in other neurological diseases as environmental factors that play a role, by acting through the gut-brain axis, in the pathological process. Most studies focus on the contribution of bacterial communities in refractory epilepsy and suggest a beneficial role of ketogenic diet in modulating the gut microbiota and seizure occurrence. However, they do not evaluate whether epilepsy itself alters the gut microbiota in these patients or if the gut microbial communities could contribute as a seizure trigger. In this pilot study, we performed 16S rRNA sequencing and investigated the gut microbial communities of eight children at their seizure onset and after anti-seizure was started (one year follow-up) and we compared microbial data with seven healthy children, age- and sex-matched. In drug-naive subjects, we observed a microbial signature that shared several features with those reported in refractory epilepsy, such as an increased abundance in Akkermansia spp. and Proteobacteria and a decreased relative abundance in Faecalibacterium spp.We suggest that a bacterial-mediated proinflammatory milieu could contribute to seizure occurrence in children with new onset of epilepsy, as already reported for individuals with drug-resistant epilepsy, and that it could vary during treatment in those who are drug-responsive.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
22352988
Volume :
11
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.738f1536fdf44a1787baa0e7ba73e16e
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.749509