Gut Microbiome in Children of the Aral Sea Region: Characteristics and Changes in Diseases of the Small Intestine

Abstract

Gut microbiome is important in the preservation of intestinal health, immune surveillance and metabolic homeostasis and especially in children. The composition and functional properties of the intestinal microbiota are greatly affected by environmental, nutritional, and socio-economic factors. The Aral Sea region is presented as a unique group of children who are exposed to unfavourable environmental factors such as environmental pollution, poor water quality, and nutritional deficiencies that can adversely influence the gut microbial balance. This is especially relevant to the maturation and evolution of small intestinal diseases. This paper will assess the nature of the intestinal microbiome in the children of the Aral Sea basin and perform an analysis of the changes in the microbiome that may occur with disorders of the small intestine. The analysis will be conducted on the variations in microbial diversity, prevailing bacteria groups, and bacterial dysbiosis in both healthy and small intestinal pathologies diagnostics children. It takes a special consideration of the depletion of the beneficial commensal bacteria and proliferation of opportunistic microorganisms, and these may lead to impaired digestion, malabsorption, chronic inflammation, and immune dysfunction. The results suggest that children with small intestinal diseases show severe alterations of the composition of the gut microbiome, with a reduction of microbial diversity and a lack of balance between protective and pathogenic bacterial groups. Such alterations are more evident in children who are subjected to long-term environmental stress factors typical of the region of the Aral Sea. Changes in the gut microbiome could be crucial in the severity of the disease, prolonged clinical symptoms, and decreased sensitivity of the disease to regular therapeutic interventions. The knowledge of region-specific microbiome patterns in children can be useful in terms of understanding disease pathophysiology and emphasising the need to implement microbiome-centred diagnostic and treatment strategies. Specific interventions based on the restoration of microbial balance can have a beneficial effect on the clinical outcomes and contribute to the well-being of the intestines in children with residence in geographically disadvantaged areas.