Metagenomic analysis of gut microbiome in obese Egyptian children

This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiome differences between obese and non-obese Egyptian children using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fecal samples were collectedfrom 10 children (5 obese and 5 non-obese), and microbial DNA was extracted and amplifiedtargeting the V3–V4 regions. Sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform,followed by bioinformatics analysis through QIIME and LEfSe for differential abundance.Alpha diversity analysis showed that the non-obese group exhibited significantly higherphylogenetic diversity, as indicated by Chao1 (p = 0.007). Differential abundance analysisshowed a higher prevalence of Bacilli, Clostridia, Mogibacteriaceae, Leuconostocaceae,Klebsiella, Veillonella, Roseburia, and Anaerostipes in obese children—taxa commonlyassociated with metabolic dysregulation and energy harvest. In contrast, Bacteroidia,Mollicutes, and Anaeroplasmatales were more abundant in the non-obese group, consistentwith a healthier metabolic profile. As the first microbiome-focused obesity study amongEgyptian children, these findings reveal distinct microbial signatures linked to obesity andhighlight the need for larger-scale studies integrating clinical and metabolic data for deeperunderstanding.