Is the Oral and Gut Microbiota of Children Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders?

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18798
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57080:Social dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Toyota Yuki 北海道大学, 大学病院, 特任助教 (00825507)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔細菌叢 / 腸内細菌叢 / 自閉スペクトラム症 / メタゲノム解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, it has become clear that disruption of the gut microbiota affects the brain and has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Oral bacteria, which are persistently swallowed through saliva daily, may be involved in ASD, either directly or indirectly through their effects on gut bacteria.
This study was conducted to analyze the oral and gut microbiota from saliva and feces of ASD patients to determine whether there is any specificity in the compositional balance. The results showed that the oral and gut microbiota of ASD patients differed in composition from that of patients with sedentary development.

Free Research Field

小児歯科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果から、ASD患者の口腔と腸内の細菌叢は、定型発達の患者の細菌叢とは類似していなく、定性的な評価、定量的な評価においても有意差が認められた。さらに、ASD患者群と定型発達群を区別し得る細菌種の候補を複数見出した。
本研究の結果がASDの病態に関係しているかどうかはさらなる研究が必要だが、今回の結果は、ASD患者の診断や治療アプローチに新しい視点を与える可能性がある。ASDの病因解明に貢献できるだけでなく、唾液や糞便の検査という低侵襲な方法がASDの早期診断やバイオマーカーとして活用できるかも知れない。