Characterization of the Small Bowel Microbiome Reveals… : Official journal of the American College of Gastroenterology | ACG
undergoing standard-of-care esophagogastroduodenoscopy without colon preparation. Aspirate DNAs were analyzed by 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing. Predicted microbial metabolic functions and serum levels of metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers were also assessed. Results: Subjects with normal weight (N=105), overweight (N=67) and obesity (N=42) were identified. Overweight-specific duodenal microbial features include lower relative abundance (RA) of Bifidobacterium species and Escherichia coli strain K-12, and higher Lactobacillus intestinalis, L. johnsoni, and Prevotella loeschii RA. Obesity-specific features include higher Lactobacillus gasseri RA and lower L. reuteri (subspecies rodentium), Alloprevotella rava and Leptotrichia spp RA. Escalation features (progressive changes from normal weight through obesity) include decreasing Bacteroides pyogenes, Staphylococcus hominis, and unknown Faecalibacterium species RA, increasing RA of unknown Lactobacillus and Mycobacterium species, and