Chronic Psychosocial Stress and Gut Health in Children: Associations With Calprotectin and Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids
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Objectives The mechanisms underpinning the association between chronic stress and gut health are poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the relationship between bacterial produced short-chain fatty acids, gut barrier function, and stress measures. Methods A fecal sample, hair sample, and questionnaire data were collected from 113 Belgian children (8-16 years old). Biological measures of stress included hair cortisol (most proximal 3 cm) and 5-minute heart rate variability (high frequency). Self-report measures of stress included emotional problems and negative events. Fecal calprotectin was determined as a marker of intestinal inflammation and an indirect indicator of gut barrier integrity. Fecal short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate, valerate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate) were measured with gas chromatography. Linear regression analyses were adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, body mass index, fiber intake, and protein intake. Results Emotional problems were significantly associated with higher butyrate (β = 0.263), valerate (β = 0.230), isovalerate (β = 0.231), and isobutyrate (β = 0.233). Heart rate variability reflecting higher parasympathetic activity was related to lower valerate levels (β = -0.217). Hair cortisol was not associated with the short-chain fatty acids. None of the stress measures and none of the fecal short-chain fatty acids were significantly related to fecal calprotectin. Conclusions In healthy children, the impact of chron…
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In humans, increased SCFA levels have been associated with obesity, chronic psychosocial stress in children, and ASD.
“Conversely, in humans, increased SCFA levels have been associated with obesity (Fernandes et al., 2014;Rahat-Rozenbloom et al., 2014;Schwiertz et al., 2010), chronic psychosocial stress in children (Michels et al., 2017) and ASD (Wang et al., 2012b).”
From The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (2019) · cites this paper as Michels et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Michels, N., Van de Wiele, T., & De Henauw, S.
- Affiliations
- Ghent University (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Michels, Nathalie
- ORCID
- Michels, Nathalie
- Venue
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Published
- 2017-10
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 927-935
- ISSN
- 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
- 1534-7796
- OpenAlex
- W2542936550
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 2.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- biblio.ugent.be
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Keywords
- chronic psychosocial stress, gut health, children, fecal short-chain fatty acids, calprotectin, butyrate, intestinal barrier, intestinal inflammation, hair cortisol, heart rate variability, emotional problems, gut microbiota
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Adolescent, Affective Symptoms, Child, Fatty Acids, Volatile, Feces, Female, Hair, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Stress, Psychological, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex
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