The oral cavity and intestinal microbiome in children with functional constipationOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
The study examined whether the oral (salivary) and fecal microbiomes differ between children with functional constipation and children without it. Researchers used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to profile bacterial communities in saliva and stool samples. The aim was to determine whether disturbances in gastrointestinal microbiome homeostasis are associated with paediatric constipation, a condition affecting almost 30% of children.
Who was studied?
A total of 91 children over three years of age were included in the study. Of these, 57 were classified into the constipation group and 34 into the group without constipation. Saliva and stool samples were collected from each child for microbiome analysis.
What were the most important findings?
At the family level, Burkholderiaceae, Christensenellaceae, and Clostridiaceae were significantly less abundant in children with constipation, while Tannerellaceae was significantly more abundant. At the genus level, rare taxa including Christensenellaceae r-7, Fusicatenibacter, Parabacteroides, Romboutsia, and Subdoligranulum were all less abundant in the constipation group. These findings indicate that functional constipation is associated with characteristic, reproducible shifts in fecal bacterial taxa, including a reduction in Christensenellaceae and its genus Christensenellaceae r-7.
What are the greatest implications of this study?
The findings support the idea that gut microbiome composition, particularly reduced Christensenellaceae and related taxa, may play a role in the pathophysiology of functional constipation in children. Identifying these characteristic bacterial shifts could help inform future diagnostic or microbiome-targeted approaches to paediatric constipation. Further research is needed to clarify whether these microbial differences are a cause or a consequence of altered gut transit and function.