Elena, thank you for sharing these incredible insights, generated by Intus Bio's Titan-1 platform. We have many more to come! If anybody wishes to see their own gut bacterial microbiome, order a Titan-1 powered test in the UK at GutID.com and at ADxHealth.com/Biome-IQ in the US.
Last week, I shared a graphic illustrating the effects of antibiotics on microbiome composition to illustrate how even a simple course of antibiotics can have a significant impact on the microbiome. Today, I am sharing an even more interesting comparison: the sunburst plots below depict the changes in microbiome composition in a healthy adult over time. On the left, you can see a balanced and varied bacterial composition and distribution, as well as a very good representation of SCFAs producers and an excellent resistome score. A 5-day course of Nitrofurantoin prior to a planned surgery completely altered the microbiome composition, with a sharp drop in diversity and an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria (plot in the middle). A different type of antibiotic (Cephalaxin) was administered to this patient for five days following surgery, and the new antibiotic had a completely different effect on the microbiome composition as shown on the right. In addition to the improved resistome score, a very specific bacterium, Borkfalki ceftriaxensis, has bloomed to a staggering 15% relative abundance of the whole microbiome (BTW, the novel bacterium has been renamed after the antibiotic itself due to its ability to flourish and appear after administration of this specific cephalosporin). After approximately 8 months, this patient's microbiome returned to "normal" (meaning to a composition similar to that before the antibiotic treatment). It is evident from this comparison that not only do antibiotics significantly affect the microbiome, but that each class may have its own specific effects. Now the question arises: what happens when you take antibiotics for an extended period of time and you "harvest" species that should not be present or should be at very low abundance? If you are unaware that these bacteria are living in your gut and thriving, what are their long-term consequences? #microbiome #antibiotics #resistome