Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Microbiology & Immunology department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt
2
Associate Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (Pediatrics), Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
3
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt
4
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
5
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
6
Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiome differences between obese and non-
obese Egyptian children using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fecal samples were collected
from 10 children (5 obese and 5 non-obese), and microbial DNA was extracted and amplified
targeting the V3–V4 regions. Sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform,
followed by bioinformatics analysis through QIIME and LEfSe for differential abundance.
Alpha diversity analysis showed that the non-obese group exhibited significantly higher
phylogenetic diversity, as indicated by Chao1 (p = 0.007). Differential abundance analysis
showed a higher prevalence of Bacilli, Clostridia, Mogibacteriaceae, Leuconostocaceae,
Klebsiella, Veillonella, Roseburia, and Anaerostipes in obese children—taxa commonly
associated with metabolic dysregulation and energy harvest. In contrast, Bacteroidia,
Mollicutes, and Anaeroplasmatales were more abundant in the non-obese group, consistent
with a healthier metabolic profile. As the first microbiome-focused obesity study among
Egyptian children, these findings reveal distinct microbial signatures linked to obesity and
highlight the need for larger-scale studies integrating clinical and metabolic data for deeper
understanding.
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