Components of Mental Distress During Pregnancy in Relation to the Microbiome: Data from USA and Swedish Cohorts

• Background: The microbiota-gut-brain axis has been implicated in depression, anxiety and navigating stress. The aim of this study is to characterize the microbiome and its potential functioning of two populations in relation to the changes of pregnancy and mental distress.Methods: Second and third trimester pregnant individuals from the United States and Sweden completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and provided fecal samples analyzed with whole genome metagenomics. Measures of microbial community diversity, differential abundance, and potential functioning were analyzed in relation to high distress (EPDS>11) and symptom subtypes. Both Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) assessed variation in microbial composition and potential function from the Gut-Brain-Modules; dbRDA considering the influence of mental distress and symptom subtypes.  Results: Alpha-diversity significantly differed between 2nd and 3rd  trimester among those with low distress, but not high distress, at both time points. Beta diversity showed composition of the highest distress Swedish group differed from the lower distress group. Four groups by variation in microbial community functioning were identified by PCoA; however, dbRDA groups constrained by mental distress and mental distress subtypes were not beyond random chance. Significant functions contributing to variance were cortisol degradation, inositol and menaquinone synthesis and short chain fatty acid synthesis, specifically acetate.Conclusions: This study suggests mental distress in pregnancy may be reflected through aspects of the microbiome, but findings often were not beyond random chance. Variation in microbial functioning may lead to new ways to group individuals and suggests important functions for further study.

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)