Metabolic syndrome and intestinal microbiota in children

Abstract

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is constantly increasing among pediatric subjects, and the most recent studies suggest that there is a possible relationship between the gut microbiome and this syndrome. The bibliographic analysis of the scientific literature regarding the correlation between the metabolic syndrome in children and the intestinal microbiota published in the last 5 years was carried out, using the search portals Sciencedirect, Pubmed, Library Genesis, Medscape. Changes in the process of human intestinal microbial maturation begin at the moment of conception, and the main predisposing factors are: the mother’s diet, her obesity, vaginal or cesarean delivery, the type of infant nutrition, the drugs used. The 2 most important families in the gastrointestinal tract are Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, which represent 90% of the intestinal microbiota, responsible, through their ability to produce certain chemicals, with the potential to disrupt metabolic activities: childhood obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal metabolism of glucose, elevated BP, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and compromised vascular function. The gut microbiota in children has been shown to be more flexible to changes derived from maternal and acquired factors. The key bacteria in the development of obesity in children are part of the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes families, while Bifidobacterium and the abundance of Lactobacillus paracasei was negatively correlated with obesity. The association between high blood pressure and diabetes with the intestinal microbiota has also been demonstrated, which represents another side of the metabolic syndrome. Targeted microbiota modifications: drug treatment, modulation with probiotics and diet are useful in conducting this pathology in children.