Whole Gut Microbiome Sequencing in Patients With Anorexia Nervosa

Background. Anorexia nervosa (AN) still carries the highest fatality rate of any psychiatric disease, and less than half of the patients recover, completely refractory to any treatment. The etiology remains unknown and evidence for treatment is lacking. The intestinal microbiota and its microbiome provide humans with additional gene products which may be regarded as an organ, which contributes to multiple host metabolic pathways. Recent advances in microbial DNA sequencing technologies have resulted in metagenomic DNA analysis of whole ecosystems such as the human gut. Altered intestinal microbiota has been related to obesity and insulin resistance. Hypothetically, the intestinal microbiota could play a role in the generation and/or maintenance of the emaciation in AN. Aim. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether gut microbiota is altered in patients with AN. Subjects and methods. A cross sectional study of the gut microbiome profiles in 75 clinical, psychometric and biochemical well characterized treatment seeking females with AN. The microbiome profiles are compared with 75 age- matched healthy Danish control subjects. Perspectives. Clarifying whether the intestinal flora is implicated in the susceptibility to or maintenance of AN may provide the basis for development of new highly required treatments.