Characteristics of the Gut Microbiota in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Although the characteristics of the gut microbiota of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been well studied, those of young adults with ASD have seldom been reported. Methods: Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the gut microbiota of 19 young adults with ASD and compared them with that of 19 healthy adults. A random forest prediction model was used to distinguish between the two groups at the genus level. Results: The abundance levels of one phylum, seven families, and 18 genera in adults with ASD were significantly different from those of controls. The genus Phascolarctobacterium was significantly enriched in adults with ASD, which might elicit ASD-like behavior through production of propionate. In addition, a random forest model identified 15 genera that could distinguish adults with ASD from healthy controls with areas under the receiver operating curve of 92.86%, and ten of them were biomarkers identified by LEfSe. Conclusions: Our results identified specific gut bacteria associated with ASD, and the successful application of certain genera in the prediction model further supports the association between gut microbiota and ASD.