Cited by 252Gut microbiota and healthParkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsGastrointestinal motility and disorders

Characterizing Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiome in PD: Evidence for Overabundance of Opportunistic Pathogens

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Wallen, Zachary D., Appah, Mary, Dean, Marissa N., Sesler, Cheryl L., Factor, Stewart A., Molho, Eric, Zabetian, Cyrus P., Standaert, David G. +1 more·2020·npj Parkinson s Disease

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Abstract

Abstract In Parkinson’s disease (PD), gastrointestinal features are common and often precede the motor signs. Braak and colleagues proposed that PD may start in the gut, triggered by a pathogen, and spread to the brain. Numerous studies have examined the gut microbiome in PD, all found it to be altered, but found inconsistent results on associated microorganisms. Studies to date have been small (N=20 to 306) and are difficult to compare or combine due to varied methodology. We conducted a microbiome-wide association study (MWAS) with two large datasets for internal replication (N=333 and 507). We used uniform methodology when possible, interrogated confounders, and applied two statistical tests for concordance, followed by correlation network analysis to infer interactions. Fifteen genera were associated with PD at a microbiome-wide significance level, in both datasets, with both methods, with or without covariate adjustment. The associations were not independent, rather represented 3 clusters of co-occurring microorganisms. Cluster 1 was composed of opportunistic pathogens; all were elevated in PD. Cluster 2 were short-chain-fatty-acid producing bacteria; all were reduced in PD. Cluster 3 were carbohydrate-metabolizing probiotics; elevated in PD. Depletion of anti-inflammatory short-chain-fatty-acid producing bacteria and elevated levels of probiotics are confirmatory. Overabundance of opportunistic pathogens is a novel finding and their identity provides a lead to experimentally test their role in PD.

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  • Feces from Parkinson's disease patients are enriched in opportunistic pathogens and pro-inflammatory taxa at the expense of anti-inflammatory microbes and SCFAs-producing bacteria, especially butyrate.

    “feces from PD patients are enriched in opportunistic pathogens and pro-inflammatory taxa at the expense of anti-inflammatory microbes and SCFAs-producing bacteria, especially butyrate [47,48,49,50,51]”

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  1. [41]Hollander, M. & Wolfe, D. A. Nonparametric Statistical Methods 115–120 (John Wiley & Sons, 1973).

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Authors
Wallen, Z. D., Appah, M., Dean, M. N., Sesler, C. L., Factor, S. A., Molho, E., Zabetian, C. P., Standaert, D. G., & Payami, H.
Affiliations
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
  • Emory University (US)
  • Albany Medical College (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
Corresponding author
Payami, Haydeh
Venue
npj Parkinson s Disease
Published
2020-06-12
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
11-11
ISSN
2373-8057 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3035602929
Cited by
252
References
90
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1
FWCI
11.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • npj Parkinson s Disease (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS036960, P50 NS062684)
  • United States Department of Defense | United States Army | Army Medical Command | Medical Research and Materiel Command (W81XWH1810508)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (T32 NS095775, P50 NS108675)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
Keywords
Parkinson's disease, gut microbiota, dysbiosis, opportunistic pathogens, short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, anti-inflammatory bacteria, microbial co-occurrence networks, gut-brain axis, neurodegeneration

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