Distinct microbiome of tongue coating and gut in type 2 diabetes with yellow tongue coating
Yao Wang,
Jiqing Li,
Haiying Hu,
Yalan Wu,
Song Chen,
Xiangrong Feng,
Ting Wang,
Yinrong Wang,
Su Wu,
Huanhuan Luo
Affiliations
Yao Wang
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Jiqing Li
Department of Endocrinology, Hainan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Haikou, Hainan Province, China
Haiying Hu
West China Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
Yalan Wu
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Song Chen
Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Xiangrong Feng
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Ting Wang
Department of Emergency and Critical Care, Hainan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
Yinrong Wang
Department of Endocrinology, Hainan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Haikou, Hainan Province, China
Su Wu
Department of Endocrinology, Hainan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Haikou, Hainan Province, China; Corresponding author.
Huanhuan Luo
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; Corresponding author. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
The gut microbiome plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the inconvenience of obtaining fecal samples hinders the clinical application of gut microbiome analysis. In this study, we hypothesized that tongue coating color is associated with the severity of T2DM. Therefore, we aimed to compare tongue coating, gut microbiomes, and various clinical parameters between patients with T2DM with yellow (YC) and non-yellow tongue coatings (NYC). Tongue coating and gut microbiomes of 27 patients with T2DM (13 with YC and 14 with NYC) were analyzed using 16S rDNA gene sequencing technology. Additionally, we measured glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), random blood glucose (RBG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), insulin (INS), glucagon (GC), body mass index (BMI), and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) levels for each patient. The correlation between tongue coating and the gut microbiomes was also analyzed. Our findings provide evidence that the levels of Lactobacillus spp. are significantly higher in both the tongue coating and the gut microbiomes of patients with YC. Additionally, we observed that elevated INS and GC levels, along with decreased BMI and HOMA-β levels, were indicative of a more severe condition in patients with T2DM with YC. Moreover, our results suggest that the composition of the tongue coating may reflect the presence of Lactobacillus spp. in the gut. These results provide insights regarding the potential relationship between tongue coating color, the gut microbiome, and T2DM.
