Gut 16S Rrna Gene Amplicon Metataxonomic Profiling of Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. While previous studies have examined the gut microbiome of children with CF, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the influence of sex on disease outcomes. Notably, emerging evidence suggests that females with CF tend to experience worse outcomes than males. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the composition of the gut microbiome in children with CF and delve deeply into the potential correlation between sex and microbiome composition. We analyzed raw amplicon sequences of the V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene of DNA extracted from stool samples collected from males with CF (n = 10) and females with CF (n = 10). Gut bacterial communities were characterized through measurements of diversity and taxa abundance. The study findings revealed the presence of opportunistic pathogens, such as Escherichia, with a higher prevalence in the male group (16%) than in the female group (7%). Conversely, the genus Clostridium showed a higher prevalence in females (12%) than in males (8%). Furthermore, the presence of the inflammation-associated genus Sutterella was exclusively detected in the female group (2%). The beneficial commensal Bifidobacterium showed a higher depletion rate in females (5%) than in males (14%). Our results shed light on differences in microbiome richness and diversity between males and females with CF, with females exhibiting slightly greater diversity. The abundance of inflammatory-linked microbiota in females can be the reason for the shortened life expectancy and severe outcome compared to males. However, the limited sample size of children with CF precluded robust statistical conclusions. Future investigations with larger cohorts are crucial to validate and expand upon these initial findings, paving the way for targeted interventions and personalized treatment approaches in CF management.