Peripheral microbial metabolites as indicators of gut microbiome disruption: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Peripheral microbial metabolites accurately identify gut microbiome disruption, with decreased anaerobic metabolites linked to obligate anaerobe depletion in 3,242 participants.

• Why it matters: Detecting gut microbiome changes typically requires costly and time-consuming sequencing, limiting clinical application. Rapid, scalable biomarkers are needed for patient care and research.
• What they did: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 cohorts assessed circulating microbial metabolites and gut microbiome data, focusing on their ability to indicate microbiome perturbation.
• The result: Metabolite levels reliably distinguished individuals with anaerobe depletion, matching microbiome profiling performance, and changed notably after antibiotic exposure, enabling real-time monitoring and patient stratification.