Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40629292›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Chronic stress is associated with altered gut microbiota profile and relevant metabolites in adolescents.

Li Ying, Wang Yuhao, He Yafang, Lan Jiao, Dang Lina, Song Qinze, Yang Chenghai, Zhao Shaoxiong, Gu Yuexi, Shen Mingwang and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

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 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Li Ying *Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Wang Yuhao *Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
He YafangSpecially Life Technology Co., Ltd, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Lan JiaoShaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Dang LinaThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Song QinzeShaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yang ChenghaiSchool of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.
Zhao ShaoxiongShaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Gu YuexiSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Shen MingwangSchool of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.
Cai ZelinXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Wang ChuangchuangXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Guo ZihanSchool of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.
Liu XinSchool of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.
Ma LuSchool of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China. maluhappy14@163.com.
Zhang LeiChina-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. lei.zhang1@monash.edu.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 8191101420National Natural Science Foundation of China 82103868Outstanding Young Scholars Funding 3111500001Shaanxi Province Postdoctoral Research Project 2023BSHTBZZ03Shaanxi Provincial Social Science Project 2023P098Xi'an Jiaotong University Basic Research and Profession Grant xtr022019003Xi'an Jiaotong University Young Talent Support Grant YX6J004Young Talent Fund of Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi 20220301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGut microbiota and microbiota-derived metabolites have been implicated in the regulation of stress-related diseases, yet their associations with chronic stress in adolescents remain unclear. Multi-omics studies on this topic in adolescents are still limited. This study aimed to characterize gut microbiota and metabolites in adolescents under chronic stress.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, we assessed chronic stress in 124 adolescents aged 12–16 years using the Adolescent Life Events Scale and the Study Stress Scale. Participants were stratified by stress level into low (n = 42), medium (n = 41), and high stress (n = 41) groups. Fecal samples were collected from all participants for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Subsequently, a subset of 30 adolescents with high stress and 29 low stress adolescents underwent metagenomic sequencing and untargeted metabolomics.

resultsAdolescents experiencing high-chronic stress showed lower alpha diversity, differential beta diversity, and a more complicated microbial network compared to those experiencing lower stress. Spearman’s rank correlation and Kruskal-Wallis test identified five genera with decreased abundances in high stress adolescents, including Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Lachnospiraceae unclassified, and Ruminococcus (Pfdr<0.05). Additionally, 12 species showed decreased abundances and 5 increased abundances, and logistic regression analysis further revealed that the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Streptococcus suis, Ruminococcus sp. CAG 108, and Phascolarctobacterium faecium were associated with chronic stress (Pfdr<0.05), after adjusting for sex, age, fruit consumption, and body mass index. We identified 21 differential metabolites, predominantly enriched in metabolic pathways based on KEGG analysis. Moreover, 19 out of these metabolites were significantly correlated with at least one of the four species significantly associated with chronic stress. These metabolites may explain health effects of species associated with chronic stress.

conclusionsChronic stress in adolescents is associated with altered gut microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, providing insights into possible mechanisms underlying stress-related diseases and highlighting the importance of longitudinal studies to clarify temporal and causal relationships.

Indexed as

BacteriaGastrointestinal MicrobiomeStress, PhysiologicalStress, PsychologicalAdolescentChildCross-Sectional StudiesFecesFemaleHumansMaleMetabolomeMetabolomicsMetagenomicsRNA, Ribosomal, 16SRNA, Ribosomal, 16S16S rRNAAdolescentsChronic stressGut microbiotaMetabolismMetagenomics

Identifiers

PMID40629292
PMCPMC12235824

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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.