ASSOCIATION OF THE FECAL MICROBIOME WITH IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS IN ADOLESCENTS

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a frequent spinal disorder that manifests itself in varying degrees of severity. However, the etiology of this disease is still unclear. Lately, 16S rRNA sequencing has been increasingly used as a common method to analyze the composition of the faecal microbiota in different diseases. This increased interest has led to investigations into the bacterial composition of people with scoliosis. Methods: We examined the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene in children diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis using NGS sequencing. Results: It was established that in the fecal microbiome of a group of children with scoliosis there is an increase in the number of bacterial genera Erysipelotrichaceae UCG-003, Eubacterium fissicatena, Paeniclostridium, Monoglobus, Blautia and Christensenellaceae R-7, as well as a decrease in the number of genera Dialister, Pseudobutyrivibrio, Prevotella and Escherichia-Shigella. Our study also found a correlation between bacteria and the degree of scoliosis. Conclusion: High abundance of Bilophila, Oscillospira and Paludicola was associated with more severe forms of scoliosis, and the prevalence of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Dialister was associated with decreased disease severity. The results of our study may indicate new bacterial markers associated with the development and severity of scoliosis in children.