System Maintenance Notice

Please note that maintenance work is scheduled between 4 AM and 5 AM - CET. During this time, you may experience reduced performance. Thanks for your patience.

Publications

Journal Article Ahead of print

PubMed: 42269784 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2026.112210

Gut microbiota profiling in patients with bone fragility fracture and severe osteoarthritis: a pilot study.

Mech Ageing Dev

Authors: Giorgia Borciani, Gabriele Conti, Alberto Di Martino, Francesca Perut, Sofia Avnet, Donatella Granchi, Mariantonietta Scazzarriello, Cesare Faldini, Patrizia Brigidi, Silvia Turroni, Nicola Baldini

Affiliations

  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
  • Human Microbiomics Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
  • Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
  • Human Microbiomics Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
  • Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy.
  • IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.

Abstract

Over the past decade, much attention has been directed towards the gut microbiota (GM) as a contributing factor to a wide range of diseases, especially in the aging population. In this study, we analyzed the GM of elderly patients with fragility fractures (age range 71-90 years, n = 13), and patients with severe osteoarthritis (age range 65-87 years, n = 11) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of fecal samples and compared these profiles with those of healthy individuals (age range 65-100 years, n = 20). The aim was to improve understanding of GM alterations in skeletal diseases and to inform the future development of personalized therapeutic strategies. Analysis of microbial composition revealed that patients with skeletal disorders showed a dysbiotic GM profile, characterized by enrichment of Peptostreptococcaceae and Butyricicoccaceae, and other potentially pathogenic taxa, alongside depletion of healthy-associated, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)-producing bacteria. Moreover, analysis of gut metabolic modules identified multiple functional differences between patients' groups and healthy controls, particularly in pathways related to SCFA production, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism. Overall, these findings demonstrate both shared and disease-specific dysbiotic signatures in the GM of elderly patients with fragility fractures or severe osteoarthritis compared with healthy individuals. Once validated in larger cohorts and supported by mechanistic studies, these results may pave the way for the development of novel GM-based intervention strategies for the management of skeletal diseases.

MeSH

Pilot Projects, Pilots, Growth, Biochemistry, Aging, Osteoarthritis, Aged, Osteoporosis, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Microbiota