Altered gut microbiota in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: an age-sex matched case-control study Original paper
Researched by:
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Dr. Umar
ID
Dr. Umar
Read MoreClinical Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Master’s candidate focused on antibiotic stewardship, AI-driven pharmacy practice, and research that strengthens safe and effective medication use. Experience spans digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London), pharmacovigilance in patient support programs, and behavioral approaches to mental health care. Published work includes studies on antibiotic use and awareness, AI applications in medicine, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. Developer of an AI-based clinical decision support system designed to enhance antimicrobial stewardship and optimize therapeutic outcomes.
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Dr. Umar
Read More
Researched by:
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Dr. Umar
ID
Dr. Umar
Read More
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Karen Pendergrass
Location
Turkey
Sample Site
Feces
Species
Homo sapiens
What was studied?
This age–sex matched case–control study investigated altered gut microbiota in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. The goals were to define PD-specific microbiome shifts at phylum, family, and genus levels and to examine whether these changes relate to disease duration and non-motor symptoms (NMS), especially gastrointestinal and other brain–gut axis features.
Who was studied?
Researchers analyzed 84 Turkish adults: 42 idiopathic PD patients and 42 healthy, age–sex matched spouses as controls, reducing confounding from shared environment and diet. All had standardized stool collection, and PD patients were characterized by disease duration and presence or absence of NMS, allowing within-PD subgroup comparisons of microbiota patterns.
Most important findings
At the phylum level, PD patients showed reduced Firmicutes and increased Verrucomicrobiota, suggesting loss of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)–producing taxa and expansion of mucin degraders such as Akkermansia. Families Lactobacillaceae and Akkermansiaceae were significantly higher in PD, while Coriobacteriales Incertae Sedis were lower. At the genus level, Lactobacillus was significantly increased, whereas Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group, Tyzzerella, Fusicatenibacter, Eubacterium hallii group, and Ruminococcus gauvreauii group all decreased, many being key Firmicutes butyrate producers that support epithelial integrity and immune regulation. Prevotella was reduced but not significantly, still aligning directionally with prior PD studies.
Importantly, microbiota composition differed between PD patients with and without NMS, and disease duration appeared to shape the degree of dysbiosis, linking longer-standing PD and higher NMS burden to more pronounced loss of SCFA producers and expansion of mucin-degrading taxa.
Key implications
Clinically, this work supports a PD-associated microbiome signature featuring reduced Firmicutes/SCFA producers and increased Lactobacillus and Akkermansia. These shifts plausibly contribute to impaired barrier function, low-grade inflammation, and NMS via the gut–brain axis. The taxa identified—particularly Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, and specific Lachnospiraceae/Ruminococcus clusters—are strong candidates for PD microbiome signature panels and targets for diet-, prebiotic-, probiotic-, or microbiota-based interventions that monitor NMS outcomes.
Citation
Babacan Yildiz G, Kayacan ZC, Karacan I, Sumbul B, Elibol B, Gelisin O, Akgul O. Altered gut microbiota in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: An age–sex matched case–control study. Acta Neurologica Belgica. 2023;123:999-1009. doi.org/10.1007/s13760-023-02195-0