A pilot study revealed the gut microbiota based on 16S rRNA metagenomics in gestational diabetes

Microbiome being a potential biomarker holds the future hope for insight into GD pathogenesis, diagnosis and cure. Many factors such as diet, lifestyle, environment, host genetics shape the diversity and composition of human microbiome. Although recent studies have indicated that gut microbiome dysbiosis was significantly associated with the onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Information on the alteration of gut microbiota composition in Pakistani women is limited. Therefore, present study was designed to elucidate gut microbiota taxonomic composition and relative abundance of taxa in local GD women. 16S Metagenomics data revealed variation in bacterial community structure in gestational diabetic (GD), pregnant non-diabetic (PND), non-pregnant diabetic (NPD) and non-pregnant non-diabetic (NPND) women. Predominant bacterial phyla residing faecal sample of GD, NPD, PND included Firmicutes, Bacteriodota, Proteobacteria accounting for 95.07%, 97.1% and 97.04%, of relative abundance respectively. While Predominant phyla inhabiting faecal sample of NPND included firmicutes, Bacteriodota, and Actinobacteriodota accounting for 98.4%. Simpson’s Reciprocal Index showed great variability, the value ranged between 11.655 and 16.17. The distance matrix depicted dissimilarity between samples with dissimilarity coefficient values ranging between 0.381 and 0.588. These findings would pave the way for future studies, which will aid in early diagnosis, management and treatment. Not applicable.