Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that psychological stress is associated with gut microbiota; however, there are no reports of its association with gut microbial structure. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between psychological stress and gut microbial patterns in young Japanese adults. Analysis of fecal microbiota was performed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Psychological stress was assessed using salivary biomarkers, including cortisol, alpha-amylase, and secretory IgA (S-IgA). Fecal microbial patterns were defined using principal component analysis of the T-RFLP profile and were classified into two enterotype-like clusters, which were defined by the B (microbiota dominated by Bacteroides) and BL patterns (microbiota dominated by Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillales), respectively. The Simpson index was significantly higher for the BL pattern than for the B pattern. The salivary cortisol level was significantly lower for the BL pattern than for the B pattern. Salivary alpha-amylase and S-IgA levels showed a negative correlation with the Simpson index. Our results raise the possibility that salivary biomarkers may be involved in the observed differences in microbial patterns.