Bacterial DNAemia is associated with serum zonulin levels in older subjects.

ABSTRACT: The increased presence of bacteria in blood is a plausible contributing factor in the development and progression of aging-associated diseases. In this context, we performed the quantification and the taxonomic profiling of the bacterial DNA in blood samples collected from forty-three older subjects enrolled in a nursing home. Quantitative PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene revealed that all samples contained detectable amounts of bacterial DNA with a concentration that varied considerably between subjects. Correlation analyses revealed that the bacterial DNAemia (expressed as concentration of 16S rRNA gene copies in blood) significantly associated with the serum levels of zonulin, a marker of intestinal permeability. This result was confirmed by the analysis of a second set of blood samples

SUBMITTER: Gargari G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8154904 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature