Metagenomics of the Gut Microbiome in Parkinson's Disease: Prodromal Changes.

We observed depletion of several strict anaerobes associated with reduced inflammation among participants with PD or features of prodromal PD. A microbiome-based classifier had moderate accuracy (AUC = 0.76 for species and 0.74 for pathways) to discriminate between recently onset PD cases and controls. These taxonomic shifts corresponded with functional shifts indicative of carbohydrate source preference. Similar, but less marked, changes were observed in participants with features of prodromal PD, in both microbial features and functions. Interpretation PD and features of prodromal PD were associated with similar changes in the gut microbiome. These findings suggest that changes in the microbiome could represent novel biomarkers for the earliest phases of PD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.