Altered Gut Microbiota Patterns in Young Children with Recent Maltreatment Exposure
Gergana Karaboycheva,
Melanie L. Conrad,
Peggy Dörr,
Katja Dittrich,
Elena Murray,
Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka,
Mariusz Kaczmarczyk,
Igor Łoniewski,
Heiko Klawitter,
Claudia Buss,
Sonja Entringer,
Elisabeth Binder,
Sibylle M. Winter,
Christine Heim
Affiliations
Gergana Karaboycheva
Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Melanie L. Conrad
Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Peggy Dörr
Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Katja Dittrich
Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Elena Murray
Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka
Department of Biochemical Research, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Mariusz Kaczmarczyk
Department of Biochemical Research, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Igor Łoniewski
Department of Biochemical Research, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Heiko Klawitter
Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Claudia Buss
Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Sonja Entringer
Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Elisabeth Binder
Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
Sibylle M. Winter
Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Christine Heim
Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Background: The brain and the intestinal microbiota are highly interconnected and especially vulnerable to disruptions in early life. Emerging evidence indicates that psychosocial adversity detrimentally impacts the intestinal microbiota, affecting both physical and mental health. This study aims to investigate the gut microbiome in young children in the immediate aftermath of maltreatment exposure. Methods: Maltreatment exposure was assessed in 88 children (ages 3–7) using the Maternal Interview for the Classification of Maltreatment [MICM]. Children were allocated to three groups according to the number of experienced maltreatment categories: no maltreatment, low maltreatment, and high maltreatment exposures. Stool samples were collected and analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Children subjected to high maltreatment exposure exhibited lower alpha diversity in comparison to those with both no and low maltreatment exposure (Simpson Index, Tukey post hoc, p = 0.059 and p = 0.007, respectively). No significant distinctions in beta diversity were identified. High maltreatment exposure was associated with the enrichment of several genera from the class Clostridia (Clostridium, Intestinibacter, Howardella and Butyrivibrio) and the depletion of the genus Phocaeicola (class Bacteriodia). Conclusions: Severe maltreatment exposure is associated with alterations in the gut microbiota of young children. Longitudinal trajectories of intestinal microbiota composition in the context of maltreatment may reveal important insights related to psychiatric and somatic health outcomes.
