Functional changes after bariatric surgery by shotgun metagenomic sequencing in obese Chilean subjects

The gut microbiota has been shown to have an important influence on host health. Microbial composition of the gut microbiota is modulated by diet and human habits. It has been reported that microbial composition is altered in obese people. Obesity is a worldwide health problem that negatively affects quality of life. Interestingly, it has been suggested that the gut microbiota is a relevant factor in weight loss after bariatrics surgery. Considering that human gut microbiota changes according the world region, it is possibly that bariatrics procedures cause different rearrangements of the gut microbiota regarding the region where the patient belong. In this study, we compared the microbial composition of the human gut microbiota belonging to obese people coming from different locations. Furthermore, we studied the functional changes after bariatric surgery by shotgun metagenomic sequencing in a DNA cohort obtained from a previous study. The functional patterns obtained were compared with data published by studies from others regions of the world. In overall, obese microbiota composition is different according to the belonging region. This differences are reflected in the functional patterns and its possibly that influence the microbiota behavior after bariatric surgery.