{"entity": "researcher", "timestamp": "2026-05-12T21:22:50.519Z", "family": "Prast-Nielsen", "given": "S", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0001-5877-7988", "affiliations": ["Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Stockholm, Sweden.", "Centre for Translational Microbiome Research (CTMR), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden."], "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/fe13dffa03b24588a919b6b028788a6e.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/fe13dffa03b24588a919b6b028788a6e"}}, "publications": [{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "b6884adebcd44c5f85555627116b94ea", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/b6884adebcd44c5f85555627116b94ea.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/b6884adebcd44c5f85555627116b94ea"}}, "title": "Investigations of microbiota composition and neuroactive pathways in association with symptoms of stress and depression in a cohort of healthy women.", "authors": [{"family": "Bashir", "given": "Zahra", "initials": "Z", "orcid": "0000-0002-2497-282X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/2d15fce497fe4cdabd82e994e7cd83ad.json"}}, {"family": "Hugerth", "given": "Luisa W", "initials": "LW", "orcid": "0000-0001-5432-1764", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/246ed7b405dd4c3f9ec5e7ff9f1d3ade.json"}}, {"family": "Krog", "given": "Maria Christine", "initials": "MC", "orcid": "0000-0002-2110-0479", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/bdd65c5105f4480692383dae8d4ac986.json"}}, {"family": "Prast-Nielsen", "given": "Stefanie", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0001-5877-7988", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/fe13dffa03b24588a919b6b028788a6e.json"}}, {"family": "Edfeldt", "given": "Gabriella", "initials": "G", "orcid": "0000-0003-0366-5588", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/bc30318aa3ca4720ac5aa3a982c9f730.json"}}, {"family": "Boulund", "given": "Fredrik", "initials": "F", "orcid": "0000-0002-3806-323X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/a5c6814a31e644b9bc544d4da759a438.json"}}, {"family": "Schacht", "given": "Simon R\u00f8nnow", "initials": "SR"}, {"family": "Tetens", "given": "Inge", "initials": "I"}, {"family": "Engstrand", "given": "Lars", "initials": "L", "orcid": "0000-0002-7713-2373", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/02d8684df81e42169e613de803446fbf.json"}}, {"family": "Schuppe-Koistinen", "given": "Ina", "initials": "I", "orcid": "0000-0002-1423-3089", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/659fb04e6a1a430cbd707b8a50d500a3.json"}}, {"family": "Fransson", "given": "Emma", "initials": "E", "orcid": "0000-0001-9010-8522", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/8c05290187ec426b8804eefc3d954971.json"}}, {"family": "Nielsen", "given": "Henriette Svarre", "initials": "HS", "orcid": "0000-0003-2106-8103", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/9a99fa7ebb204c618ed70f29be0085b3.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2024-07-02", "journal": {"title": "Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.", "issn": "2235-2988", "volume": "14", "pages": "1324794", "issn-l": "2235-2988"}, "abstract": "Despite mounting evidence of gut-brain involvement in psychiatric conditions, functional data remain limited, and analyses of other microbial niches, such as the vaginal microbiota, are lacking in relation to mental health. This aim of this study was to investigate if the connections between the gut microbiome and mental health observed in populations with a clinical diagnosis of mental illness extend to healthy women experiencing stress and depressive symptoms. Additionally, this study examined the functional pathways of the gut microbiota according to the levels of psychological symptoms. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore potential correlations between the vaginal microbiome and mental health parameters in young women without psychiatric diagnoses.\n\nIn this cross-sectional study, 160 healthy Danish women (aged 18-40 years) filled out questionnaires with validated scales measuring symptoms of stress and depression and frequency of dietary intake. Fecal and vaginal microbiota samples were collected at the beginning of the menstrual cycle and vaginal samples were also collected at cycle day 8-12 and 18-22. Shotgun metagenomic profiling of the gut and vaginal microbiome was performed. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was used for functional profiling and 56 Gut Brain Modules were analyzed in the fecal samples.\n\nThe relative abundance in the gut of the genera Escherichia, Parabacteroides, and Shigella was higher in women with elevated depressive symptoms. Women with high perceived stress showed a tendency of increased abundance of Escherichia, Shigella, and Blautia. Amongst others, the potentially pathogenic genera, Escherichia and Shigella correlate with alterations in the neuroactive pathways such as the glutamatergic, GABAeric, dopaminergic, and Kynurenine pathways. Vaginosis symptoms were more prevalent in women reporting high levels of stress and depressive symptoms.\n\nThe findings of this study support the concept of a microbiota-associated effect on the neuroactive pathways even in healthy young women. This suggest, that targeting the gut microbiome could be a promising approach for future psychiatric interventions.", "doi": "10.3389/fcimb.2024.1324794", "pmid": "39015337", "labels": {"Luisa Hugerth": null, "DDLS Fellow": null}, "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC11249552"}], "notes": [], "created": "2025-03-19T07:35:43.556Z", "modified": "2025-04-08T06:08:56.327Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "a3ed235c77f44594a95e94a4c3a7953f", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/a3ed235c77f44594a95e94a4c3a7953f.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/a3ed235c77f44594a95e94a4c3a7953f"}}, "title": "Investigation of the skin microbiome: swabs vs. biopsies.", "authors": [{"family": "Prast-Nielsen", "given": "S", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0001-5877-7988", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/fe13dffa03b24588a919b6b028788a6e.json"}}, {"family": "Tobin", "given": "A-M", "initials": "AM", "orcid": "0000-0003-2730-9561", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/be1b7c678a604819a192a67959caf883.json"}}, {"family": "Adamzik", "given": "K", "initials": "K"}, {"family": "Powles", "given": "A", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Hugerth", "given": "L W", "initials": "LW"}, {"family": "Sweeney", "given": "C", "initials": "C"}, {"family": "Kirby", "given": "B", "initials": "B"}, {"family": "Engstrand", "given": "L", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Fry", "given": "L", "initials": "L"}], "type": "comparative study", "published": "2019-09-00", "journal": {"title": "Br. J. Dermatol.", "issn": "1365-2133", "volume": "181", "issue": "3", "pages": "572-579", "issn-l": "0007-0963"}, "abstract": "Human skin is populated by diverse bacteria and there is increasing evidence that resident bacteria play a key role initiating immune responses in cutaneous diseases such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa. Bacteria are present at all layers of the skin but many studies have relied on swabs to profile the skin microbiota.\n\nAs the pathogenesis of many skin conditions is dermal, we wanted to compare the microbiota obtained in swabs (surface) and biopsies (dermis).\n\nUsing 16S rRNA gene sequencing we established the microbial profiles of skin swabs and skin biopsies in 16 patients.\n\nWe found differences in both diversity and taxonomic composition of the microbiome obtained from swabs and biopsies of the same individual. Several taxa were found to be more abundant in the swabs, which displayed significantly higher community richness, but Clostridiales and Bacteroidetes were significantly enriched in the biopsies. Most published research on cutaneous microbiota has been based on skin swabs, which represent the surface of the skin.\n\nOur study demonstrated a clear difference between the microbiome observed from skin swabs and skin biopsies. These findings may be highly relevant in disorders such as psoriasis where pathogenesis arises in the dermis. What's already known about this topic? 16S RNA gene sequencing has facilitated study of the skin microbiome. Several studies have sequenced the microbiome sampled by skin swabs. What does this study add? The microbiome data obtained using swabs and biopsies were different. Diseases that are predominantly dermal should be studied using both swabs and biopsies.", "doi": "10.1111/bjd.17691", "pmid": "30693476", "labels": {"Luisa Hugerth": null, "DDLS Fellow": null}, "xrefs": [], "notes": [], "created": "2022-11-08T07:01:07.271Z", "modified": "2023-10-27T09:32:21.503Z"}]}