AUTHOR=Liu Jieqiong , Tang Wenjing , Hou Lei , Wang Jing , Wang Rongfei , Zhang Yaofen , Dong Zhao , Liu Ruozhuo , Yu Shengyuan 

TITLE=Alteration of gut microbiota in migraine patients with irritable bowel syndrome in a Chinese Han population

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.899056

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2022.899056

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Objective: Migraine is frequently reported in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays a role in migraine and IBS. However, alterations in the gut microbiome in migraine patients with IBS remain unknown. This study aimed to explore the compositions of gut microbiota in migraine patients with IBS in a Chinese Han population.
Methods: Sixteen migraine patients with IBS and thirteen age- and gender-matched IBS patients with similar dietary and lifestyle habits were enrolled in this pilot study. Demographic data, clinical data, eating habits, lifestyle habits, comorbidities and medications were recorded using a unified case registration form. Questionnaires for the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were completed. Fecal samples were collected, and microbial DNA was extracted. Gut microbiota 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing targeting the V4 region was performed using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 high-throughput sequencing platform. The relationships between gut microbiota and clinical characteristics of migraine were analyzed.
Results: The structure of gut microbiota differed between migraine patients with IBS and IBS patients, while richness and diversity of gut microbiota in migraine patients with IBS showed no significant difference from that of IBS patients. We found a higher relative abundance of the genus Parabacteroides and a lower relative abundance of the genera Paraprevotella, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-010, Lactococcus, Collinsella and Comamonas in migraine patients with IBS than in IBS patients. According to random forest predictive models, the phylum Bacteroidota show the most important role in migraine patients with IBS. Furthermore, no statistical correlation was found between significantly different taxa at the genus level and migraine clinical data. 
Conclusions: This study identified that altered gut microbiota occurred in Chinese Han migraine patients with IBS, but no correlation was found between gut microbiota and the clinical characteristics of migraine. Further study is needed to better understand the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of migraine in IBS.