ArticleBMC microbiology2025
The altitudinal patterns of global human gut microbial diversity.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Curcumin supplementation during high-altitude exposure modulates body composition and its relationship with gut microbiota: a randomized controlled trial.Nutrition journal · 2026Trial
- Salivary microbiome and metabolome profiles associated with dental caries in Tibetan children from high-altitude regions.Odontology · 2026Article
- Interactions between bacterial microbiota and protozoan parasites: an intimate relationship.Archives of microbiology · 2026Review
- Short-term high-altitude exposure protects working memory by balancing intestinal microbiota.BMC microbiology · 2026Article
- Uncovering the gut microbiome and antibiotic resistome of mammals on the Tibetan Plateau.Science China. Life sciences · 2025Article
- Lactobacillus johnsonii HL79 mitigate plateau environment-induced hippocampal dysfunction in mice.AMB Express · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe human gut microbiota is closely associated with human health, influencing not only overall well-being but also the incidence and treatment outcomes of diseases. Altitudinal gradients are considered to impact gut microbial community characteristics through factors such as environmental temperature, humidity, and lifestyle. While previous studies have reported altitudinal variations in human gut microbiota in specific regions, a comprehensive exploration of these patterns at a global scale is still lacking. In this study, we analyzed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from healthy human gut microbiota, spanning altitudes from 3 m to 3850 m, obtained from multiple open-access databases. The analysis focused on elucidating the altitudinal patterns of microbial diversity, community composition, and functional profiles.
resultsAfter screening, a total of 6702 sequences from 15 countries were obtained. The diversity of human gut microbiota decreased with increasing altitude (R = -0.047, P < 0.001), but no consistent results were acquired among continents. The relative abundances of the genera Faecalibacterium and Blautia decreased with rising altitude (R = -0.131 and R = -0.135, respectively, P < 0.001 for both), while the relative abundance of the genus Prevotella increased with altitude (R = 0.336, P < 0.001). However, taxa such as Bacilliota, Bacteroides, and Bifidobacterium exhibit no consistent trends across different continents. The abundance of genes associated with the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, lipid metabolism, neurodegenerative diseases, and aging increased with altitude (R = 0.146, 0.037, 0.366, and 0.317, respectively; lipid metabolism P = 0.003, others P < 0.001). Conversely, the abundance of genes related to the immune system and carbohydrate metabolism decreased with increasing altitude (R = -0.166 and R = -0.219, respectively; P < 0.001 for both).
conclusionAltitude significantly influences diversity, composition, and functional attributes of the human gut microbiota.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.