A new pilot study has identified specific gut microbiota and metabolomic signatures associated with type 2 diabetes combined with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (T2DM-CAD).
Researchers analyzed fecal and plasma samples from 30 participants-10 healthy controls, 10 with T2DM, and 10 with T2DM-CAD. Using metagenomic sequencing and mass spectrometry, they found distinct shifts in bacteria and metabolites.
Key gut microbes linked to T2DM-CAD include Prevotella disiens, Bacteroides sp._CAG_875, Sutterella wadsworthensis, Paraprevotella clara, and Anaerobutyricum hallii. Bacteroides sp._CAG_875 showed particular promise in distinguishing T2DM-CAD from both healthy controls and T2DM alone.
Metabolomic analysis revealed 42 differentially abundant metabolites. Notable potential biomarkers include fructose, gallic acid, pyroglutamic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, and-importantly-12-ketolithocholic acid (12-ketoLCA), which emerged in both comparisons involving T2DM-CAD.
Correlation analyses suggest interactions between these gut microbes and metabolites, reinforcing the concept of a "gut-heart axis" in diabetes-related cardiovascular complications.
The authors caution that the small sample size (30 participants) limits the findings, and larger prospective studies are needed to validate these candidate biomarkers.