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Altered Gut Microbial Metabolites in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Signals in Host-Microbe Interplay
Wu L, Han Y, Zheng Z, Peng G, Liu P, Yue S, Zhu S, Chen J et al.. Nutrients, 2021-01-14
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Intimate metabolic host-microbiome crosstalk regulates immune, metabolic, and neuronal response in health and disease, yet remains untapped for biomarkers or intervention for disease. Our recent study identified an altered microbiome in patients with pre-onset amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and dementia Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, we aimed to characterize the gut microbial metabolites among AD, aMCI, and healthy controls (HC). Here, a cohort of 77 individuals (22 aMCI, 27 AD, and 28 HC) was recruited. With the use of liquid-chromatography/gas chromatography mass spectrometry metabolomics profiling, we identified significant differences between AD and HC for tryptophan metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and lithocholic acid, the majority of which correlated with altered microbiota and cognitive impairment. Notably, tryptophan disorders presented in aMCI and SCFAs decreased progressively from aMCI to AD. Importantly, indole-3-pyruvic acid, a metabolite from tryptophan, was identified as a signature for discrimination and prediction of AD, and five SCFAs for pre-onset and progression of AD. This study showed fecal-based gut microbial signatures were associated with the presence and progression of AD, providing a potential target for microbiota or dietary intervention in AD prevention and support for the host-microbe crosstalk signals in AD pathophysiology.
Key findings
- With the use of liquid-chromatography/gas chromatography mass spectrometry metabolomics profiling, we identified significant differences between AD and HC for tryptophan metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and lithocholic acid, the majority of which correlated with altered microbiota and cognitive impairment.
- This study showed fecal-based gut microbial signatures were associated with the presence and progression of AD, providing a potential target for microbiota or dietary intervention in AD prevention and support for the host-microbe crosstalk signals in AD pathophysiology.
Why it matters
In a small cohort of 77 people, this study found differences in gut microbial metabolites, including tryptophan metabolites and short-chain fatty acids, between Alzheimer's disease, amnestic MCI, and healthy controls. It suggests a possible target for microbiota or dietary intervention, but no treatment was tested.
Study details
- Participants77
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nutrients) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Nutrients: journal h-index 331 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 77 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 226 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 32.3 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 123 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Baohong Wang: h-index 28 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Alberta: institution h-index 1,174 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33466861) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wu, L., Han, Y., Zheng, Z., Peng, G., Liu, P., Yue, S., et al. (2021). Altered Gut Microbial Metabolites in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Signals in Host-Microbe Interplay. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010228
Vancouver
Wu L, Han Y, Zheng Z, Peng G, Liu P, Yue S, et al. Altered Gut Microbial Metabolites in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Signals in Host-Microbe Interplay. Nutrients. 2021. doi:10.3390/nu13010228. PMID: 33466861.
BibTeX
@article{wu2021-33466861,
author = {Wu, L. and Han, Y. and Zheng, Z. and Peng, G. and Liu, P. and Yue, S. and Zhu, S. and Chen, J. and others},
title = {{Altered Gut Microbial Metabolites in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Signals in Host-Microbe Interplay}},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.3390/nu13010228},
pmid = {33466861},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010228}
}
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