Metagenomic analysis of gut microbiome in obese Egyptian children | ||||
Records of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences | ||||
Volume 9, Issue 2, March 2025, Page 45-57 PDF (721 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/rpbs.2025.386454.1376 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Nada Mohamed Ezz El deen ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||
1Microbiology & Immunology department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
2Associate Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (Pediatrics), Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||||
3Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
4Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||||
5Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. | ||||
6Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University | ||||
Abstract | ||||
This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiome differences between obese and non- obese Egyptian children using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fecal samples were collected from 10 children (5 obese and 5 non-obese), and microbial DNA was extracted and amplified targeting the V3–V4 regions. Sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform, followed by bioinformatics analysis through QIIME and LEfSe for differential abundance. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the non-obese group exhibited significantly higher phylogenetic diversity, as indicated by Chao1 (p = 0.007). Differential abundance analysis showed a higher prevalence of Bacilli, Clostridia, Mogibacteriaceae, Leuconostocaceae, Klebsiella, Veillonella, Roseburia, and Anaerostipes in obese children—taxa commonly associated with metabolic dysregulation and energy harvest. In contrast, Bacteroidia, Mollicutes, and Anaeroplasmatales were more abundant in the non-obese group, consistent with a healthier metabolic profile. As the first microbiome-focused obesity study among Egyptian children, these findings reveal distinct microbial signatures linked to obesity and highlight the need for larger-scale studies integrating clinical and metabolic data for deeper understanding. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Gut Microbiome; 16S rRNA Sequencing; Children; Obesity; Egypt | ||||
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