Gut Microbiota Profiles Differ among Individuals Depending on Their Region of Origin: An Italian Pilot Study

Andrea Fontana, Concetta Panebianco, Andrea Picchianti-Diamanti, Bruno Laganà, Duccio Cavalieri, Adele Potenza, Riccardo Pracella, Elena Binda, Massimiliano Copetti and Valerio Pazienza
Additional contact information
Andrea Fontana: Unit of Biostatistics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Concetta Panebianco: Division of Gastroenterology, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Andrea Picchianti-Diamanti: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Bruno Laganà: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Duccio Cavalieri: Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019 Florence, Italy
Adele Potenza: Dietetic and Clinical Nutrition Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Riccardo Pracella: Cancer Stem Cells Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Elena Binda: Cancer Stem Cells Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Massimiliano Copetti: Unit of Biostatistics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Valerio Pazienza: Division of Gastroenterology, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Background and aims: Microbiota heterogeneity among humans is mainly due to genetic background, age, dietary habits, lifestyle and local environments. In this study we investigated whether the gut microbiota profile of Italian healthy volunteers could differ based on their geographical origin. Materials and Methods: 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to analyze the gut microbiota of 31 healthy volunteers from three different Italian regions: Apulia (South), Lazio (Center) and Lombardy (North). Results: Differences in microbiota composition were detected when the study participants were grouped by their region of origin and when they were classified based on age classes ( p -values < 0.05). Also species richness was significantly different both according to Italian Regions (median richness: 177.8 vs. 140.7 vs. 168.0 in Apulia, Lazio and Lombardy; p < 0.001) and according to age classes (median richness: 140.1 vs. 177.8 vs. 160.0 in subjects < 32, 32–41 and > 41 years; p < 0.001), whereas the Shannon index and beta diversity did not change. Conclusions: This study identified differences in the gut microbiota composition and richness among individuals with the same ethnicity coming from three different Italian regions. Our results underline the importance of studies on population-specific variations in human microbiota composition leading to geographically tailored approaches to microbiota engineering.

Keywords: microbiota; eubiosis; dysbiosis; geographical location (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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