Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Its Impact on the Mother- Infant Gut and Breast Milk Bacteriome

Abstract

Abstract Background: Human breast milk is a complex fluid that provides both macronutrients and micronutrients critical for the infant development. Several studies have been focused on the characterization of the human breast milk (HBM) microbiota, nowadays we know it is composed by a rich community of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and anaerobic fungi. However, it is considered that the human microbiome is not static, instead is described as a dynamic living system shaped by several factors like age, demography, malnutrition, sex, diet, sexual behavior, antibiotics and health condition. Previous studies have demonstrated that metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus induces dysbiosis in the gut microbiome in affected individuals. However, how gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects the HBM microbiota remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the bacterial diversity through the massive sequencing of the 16S rRNA in Colombian infants breastfed with HBM from GDM and control women. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we collected HBM and stool samples from GDM and healthy mother-infant pairs in Pereira (Colombia). The whole DNA was purified and the 16S V3-V4 region was amplified and sequenced. Reads obtained were quality filtered and classified by homology according to the Ribosomal Small Subunit SILVA. Results: Our results revealed that the most abundant phyla in the collected samples are Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Interestingly, we found significant differences in the bacterial relative abundances GDM mothers’ gut compared to the control group, notably Bifidobacterium, Serratia and Sutterella were negatively associated to GDM. In the HBM significant differences were observed in Sutterella, Serratia, Lactococcuswere in low RA in GDM whereas Veillonellawas in high RA. On the other hand, in the infant, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Sutterella, Serratia, Streptococcus, and Veillonella had low presence while Lactococcus and Flavonifractor were in significant high abundance in GDM, these differences in the bacterial community structure in GDM mother and their infants could be linked to vitamin K and several forms of vitamin B deficiency, inflammatory disease, and gut bacterial homeostasis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that gut bacteriome profiles vary between healthy and GDM women, leading to gut bacterial dysbiosis in their infants.