Fecal microbiota in pediatric depression and its relation to bowel habits.

Although gut microbiota dysbiosis has been observed in the fecal samples of depressive adult patients, the detailed structure and composition of microbiota in pediatric depression remain unclear. To enhance our understanding of gut microbiota structure in depressive children, as well as the relationship between gut microbiota and bowel habits, we performed 16S rRNA sequencing to evaluate the gut microbial population in a cohort of 171 children (101 depressive patients and 70 controls) aged 12-18 years. Further analysis consisting of 30 drug-naive patients and 23 controls was performed to validate the results. Compared to controls, we found markedly decreased microbial richness and diversity, a distinct metagenomic composition with reduced short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (associated with healthy status), and overgrowth of bacteria such as Escherichia-Shigella and Flavonifractor in pediatric depression. Further analyses limited to drug-naive patients found similar results. Notably, we also observed that several taxa may be involved in the pathogenesis of disordered bowel habits in pediatric depression. Our findings suggest could inform future pediatric depression interventions specifically targeting the bacteria associated with bowel movements.

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