Gut microbiota and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms and pharmacological treatments in a sibling-matched cohort with autism spectrum disorder in Uruguay

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder marked by difficulties in communication, social interaction, and restricted, repetitive behaviors. The gut microbiota has emerged as a key factor in the gut-brain axis relevant to ASD. We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing the gut bacterial composition of children with ASD n29 and their neurotypical siblings NT, n29. To minimize environmental and lifestyle confounders, all pairs were 4 to 10 years old and cohabiting in the same household in Uruguay. We used full-length 16S rRNA gene V1 V9 sequencing with the latest R10.4.1 Oxford Nanopore Technologies chemistry, enabling high-resolution microbial characterization.