Fecal metaproteomics reveals alterations in gut microbiota and intestinal proteins in adolescents with bipolar depression.

Gut bacteria associated with lactate production and metabolism showed increased abundance in adolescents with bipolar depression.

• Bifidobacteriaceae and Megasphaera were among the taxa showing increased abundance in BD patients compared to healthy controls.
• Fecal samples were collected from 15 adolescents with depressive episodes of BD and 58 healthy individuals.
• Fecal metaproteomics was used to assess changes in the gut environment.

Alistipes, a bacterium linked to stress, was found at higher abundance in adolescents with bipolar depression.

• Alistipes abundance was elevated in BD patients relative to healthy controls.
• The study compared 15 BD adolescents versus 58 healthy controls using fecal metaproteomics.
• Alistipes has been previously described as a bacterium linked to stress responses.

Host proteins CELA2A, DEFA3, and KLK1 demonstrated high diagnostic performance as potential biomarkers for bipolar depression.

• ROC-AUC values for CELA2A, DEFA3, and KLK1 were 0.905, 0.897, and 0.897, respectively.
• PR-AUC values for CELA2A, DEFA3, and KLK1 were 0.978, 0.975, and 0.975, respectively.
• These proteins were identified from fecal metaproteomic profiling of human intestinal proteins.
• The authors note that further validation is required before these can be confirmed as diagnostic biomarkers.

Fecal metaproteomics detected alterations in both gut microbial composition and host intestinal protein profiles in adolescents with bipolar depression.

• The study assessed both human and microbial proteins in fecal samples.
• Sample collection included 15 adolescents with depressive episodes of BD and 58 healthy controls.
• The metaproteomic approach allowed simultaneous characterization of the gut microbiota and host-derived proteins.