Predictors of Obesity among Gut Microbiota Biomarkers in African American Men with and without Diabetes

• Main Authors: Elena Barengolts, Stefan J. Green, George E. Chlipala, Brian T. Layden, Yuval Eisenberg, Medha Priyadarshini, Lara R. Dugas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: Microorganisms
• Subjects: gut microbiota; BMI; body mass index; CD14; cluster of differentiation 14 protein; EndoCab; endotoxin core antibody; LBP; lipopolysaccharide-binding protein; SCFA; short-chain fatty acids; zonulin; butyric; propionic; obesity; type 2 diabetes mellitus; African American men; cortisol
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/9/320

Gut microbiota and their biomarkers may be associated with obesity. This study evaluated associations of body mass index (BMI) with circulating microbiota biomarkers in African American men (AAM) (<i>n</i> = 75). The main outcomes included fecal microbial community structure (16S rRNA), gut permeability biomarkers (ELISA), and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs, metabolome analysis). These outcomes were compared between obese and non-obese men, after adjusting for age. The results showed that lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), the ratio of LBP to CD14 (LBP/CD14), and SCFAs (propionic, butyric, isovaleric) were higher in obese (<i>n</i> = 41, age 58 years, BMI 36 kg/m²) versus non-obese (<i>n</i> = 34, age 55 years, BMI 26 kg/m²) men. BMI correlated positively with LBP, LBP/CD14 (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05 for both) and SCFAs (propionic, butyric, isovaleric, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01 for all). In the regression analysis, LBP, LBP/CD14, propionic and butyric acids were independent determinants of BMI. The study showed for the first time that selected microbiota biomarkers (LBP, LBP/CD14, propionic and butyric acids) together with several other relevant risks explained 39%&#8722;47% of BMI variability, emphasizing that factors other than microbiota-related biomarkers could be important. Further research is needed to provide clinical and mechanistic insight into microbiota biomarkers and their utility for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.