Abstract
Background and Objectives: The gut microbiome composition has emerged as a potential contributor to metabolic health and it is influenced by several factors, such as dietary factors. Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience metabolic dysregulation, including alterations in body weight; as a result, the prevalence of overweight/obesity is increasing in this population. Limited research has addressed the role of the gut microbiota on body weight in people with T1D. Our aim is to evaluate the association between BMI and gut microbiome composition in T1D patients, also exploring the relationship between dietary factors and the microbiota. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving T1D patients (n = 101) of both sexes, aged 18–79 years. Anthropometric parameters were measured, and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire was administered to evaluate dietary habits. Patients collected stool samples that were analyzed by shotgun metagenomics sequencing for the evaluation of the gut microbiota composition. Associations between BMI, gut microbiome composition, and dietary factors were evaluated by Pearson’s bivariate correlation. Results: BMI was correlated inversely with the Bacilli (r = −0.296, p = 0.004) and Gammaproteobacteria (r = −0.280, p = 0.009) classes and directly with the abundance of the Clostridia class (r = 0.220, p = 0.031) and one of its species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (r = 0.264, p = 0.010). The presence of these taxa was associated with dietary factors: Bacilli was inversely correlated with the consumption of animal protein (r = −0.242, p = 0.019), monounsaturated fatty acids (r = −0.214, p = 0.038), linolenic acid (r = −0.236, p = 0.022), oleic acid (r = −0.205, p = 0.048), and cholesterol (r = −0.204, p = 0.048); Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was directly associated with the intake of cholesterol (r = 0.218, p = 0.034) and simple sugars (r = 0.226, p = 0.028). Clostridia was correlated directly (r = 0.225, p = 0.027) and Gammaproteobacteria inversely (r = −0.216, p = 0.045) with alcohol intake. Discussion: BMI was associated with the Clostridia, Bacilli, and Gammaproteobacteria classes. These bacteria were related to various dietary factors. Therefore, changes in the gut microbiota could be a possible link between dietary habits and overweight/obesity in people with T1D.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, L.B. and G.S.; validation, L.B. and G.C. and D.E.; formal analysis, G.S. and A.C. and J.A.; investigation, G.S. and A.C.; data curation, G.S. and A.C. and J.A.; writing—original draft preparation, G.S. and L.B.; writing—review and editing L.B. and F.D.F.; supervision, L.B. and D.E.; funding acquisition, L.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
The authors declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by a grant from the University of Naples Federico II, Ricerca Dip 2021. Project funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3—Call for proposals No. 341 of 15 March 2022 of Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU; Project code PE00000003, Concession Decree No. 1550 of 11 October 2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, CUP D93C22000890001, Project title ON Foods—Research and innovation network on food and nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security—Working ON Foods. JA is PhD student of CRESCENDO Doctorate Programme that received funding by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme (MSCA-COFUND-2020) with Grant Agreement No. 101034245.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Federico II University Ethics Committee (protocol code: 330/20, 18 December 2020).
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
The dataset generated during and/or analyzed during the current study is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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