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. 2018 Jun;40(3):257-268.
doi: 10.1007/s11357-018-0026-y. Epub 2018 Jun 5.

Composition and richness of the serum microbiome differ by age and link to systemic inflammation

Thomas W Buford  1 , Christy S Carter  2 , William J VanDerPol  3 , Dongquan Chen  3 , Elliot J Lefkowitz  3   4 , Peter Eipers  5 , Casey D Morrow  5 , Marcas M Bamman  5
Affiliations

Composition and richness of the serum microbiome differ by age and link to systemic inflammation

Thomas W Buford et al. Geroscience. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Advanced age has been associated with alterations to the microbiome within the intestinal tract as well as intestinal permeability (i.e., "leaky gut"). Prior studies suggest that intestinal permeability may contribute to increases in systemic inflammation-an aging hallmark-possibly via microorganisms entering the circulation. Yet, no studies exist describing the state of the circulating microbiome among older persons. To compare microbiota profiles in serum between healthy young (20-35 years, n = 24) and older adults (60-75 years, n = 24) as well as associations between differential microbial populations and prominent indices of age-related inflammation. Unweighted Unifrac analysis, a measure of β-diversity, revealed that microbial communities clustered differently between young and older adults. Several measures of α-diversity, including chao1 (p = 0.001), observed species (p = 0.001), and phylogenetic diversity (p = 0.002) differed between young and older adults. After correction for false discovery rate (FDR), age groups differed (all p values ≤ 0.016) in the relative abundance of the phyla Bacteroidetes, SR1, Spirochaetes, Bacteria_Other, TM7, and Tenericutes. Significant positive correlations (p values ≤ 0.017 after FDR correction) were observed between IGF1 and Bacteroidetes (ρ = 0.380), Spirochaetes (ρ = 0.528), SR1 (ρ = 0.410), and TM7 (ρ = 0.399). Significant inverse correlations were observed for IL6 with Bacteroidetes (ρ = - 0.398) and TM7 (ρ = - 0.423), as well as for TNFα with Bacteroidetes (ρ = - 0.344). Similar findings were observed at the class taxon. These data are the first to demonstrate that the richness and composition of the serum microbiome differ between young and older adults and that these factors are linked to indices of age-related inflammation.

Keywords: Aging; Inflammation; Leaky gut; Microbiome; Microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

Prior to participation, all participants provided written informed based on documents approved by Institutional Review Boards of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Taxonomic distribution of serum microbiome of healthy young and older adults by phylum (a) and class (b). c Comparison of serum microbiome β-diversity (Unweighted UniFrac) between healthy young (blue) and older (red) adults
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of α-diversity of the serum microbiome between healthy young (blue) and older adults (red). Five indices were used to represent the richness (chao1, observed species), phylogenetic diversity, and sample diversity (shannon and simpson indices). Box whiskers indicate the range of observed values
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Microbial DNA populations differentially expressed between young (blue) and older (red) adults at the phylum level. Asterisk indicates statistical significance after correcting for multiple comparisons via false discovery rate. Box whiskers represent the range of observed values
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Microbial DNA populations at the phylum level significantly differing in abundance between young and older adults and correlated with indices of inflammation. Correlation coefficients reflect the Spearman rho comparison. Asterisk indicates statistical significance after correcting for multiple comparisons via false discovery rate. Data points are colored separately to indicate young (blue) and older (red) adults
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Microbial DNA populations at the class level significantly differing in abundance between young and older adults and correlated with indices of inflammation. Correlation coefficients reflect the Spearman rho comparison. Asterisk indicates statistical significance after correcting for multiple comparisons via false discovery rate. Data points are colored separately to indicate young (blue) and older (red) adults
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