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This exploratory study examined oral and gut microbiome composition in dizygotic triplets aged 5-9 years, where one child had autism spectrum disorder and two were neurotypical siblings. Despite sharing the same environment and diet, the child with ASD showed distinct oral microbiome features including higher dental biofilm, increased Streptococcus, and reduced diversity of other bacterial genera, while gut microbiome patterns were more similar across siblings. The findings suggest that individual-specific factors may drive microbiome differences independently of shared environmental conditions.
Why it matters
This research highlights that oral microbiome profiles may be more sensitive markers of individual variation in ASD than gut microbiome alone, potentially opening new avenues for diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets. The use of triplets discordant for ASD provides a uniquely controlled natural experiment to separate individual from environmental factors in microbiome studies.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Background/ObjectivesAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been associated with microbiome alterations, but the relative contribution of environmental and individual factors remains unclear. This study explored oral and gut microbiome profiles in environmentally matched dizygotic triplets discordant for ASD.
Materials and MethodsTriplets in the 5-9-year age range, including one child with ASD and two neurotypical siblings, underwent standardized oral examination. Oral tongue-dorsum and rectal swab samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Taxonomic composition and beta diversity were evaluated descriptively.
ResultsDominant bacterial phyla were broadly similar across siblings, but oral microbial profiles showed greater interindividual variation. The participant with ASD had the highest dental biofilm accumulation, predominance of Streptococcus, and reduced representation of several secondary genera. One neurotypical sibling with mild gingival inflammation showed greater representation of Fusobacterium, Prevotella, and Leptotrichia. Beta diversity demonstrated clearer interindividual separation among oral than gut samples.
ConclusionsIndividual-specific factors may influence microbiome patterns even under highly similar environmental and dietary conditions. These findings support further investigation of the oral microbiome as a complementary component of ASD microbiome research.