Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Daniel Moore, Ph.D. at Southern Maine Community College
Keywords
Antibiotics, diabetes, ARG, chronic disease, genes, bacteria
Abstract
Antibiotics are typically offered to patients with no warning of long-term consequences, though increasing evidence suggests this may not be entirely true. When antibiotics enter the body, they kill both good and bad bacterial populations in the gut - collectively known as the human microbiome. Repeated use of these drugs encourages mutations in this bacterial population [2]. This leads to the creation of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). The causal relationship between antibiotic use and bacterial resistance is well established. However, recent research suggests a newly discovered relationship between the presence of specific ARGs in the microbiome and the incidence of certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, autism spectrum disorder, and inflammatory bowel disease [6]. This review of literature intends to illustrate a link between regional antibiotic use and the progression of Type II diabetes (T2D) in mainland China. In 2024, Zang et al. used wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a proxy to analyze antibiotic usage in Eastern China, finding the highest concentrations and prescriptions were associated with macrolide and quinolone antibiotics [8]. These results provide context to a 2022 study performed by Shuai et al. which showed that ARGs caused by these antibiotic classes were strongly correlated with the T2D disease state [7]. Together, this data adds to a growing body of evidence that stresses the importance of antibiotic stewardship in preventing human disease worldwide.
Included in
ARGs & Chronic Disease: How Antibiotic Resistance Genes Impact the Progression of Type II Diabetes
Antibiotics are typically offered to patients with no warning of long-term consequences, though increasing evidence suggests this may not be entirely true. When antibiotics enter the body, they kill both good and bad bacterial populations in the gut - collectively known as the human microbiome. Repeated use of these drugs encourages mutations in this bacterial population [2]. This leads to the creation of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). The causal relationship between antibiotic use and bacterial resistance is well established. However, recent research suggests a newly discovered relationship between the presence of specific ARGs in the microbiome and the incidence of certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, autism spectrum disorder, and inflammatory bowel disease [6]. This review of literature intends to illustrate a link between regional antibiotic use and the progression of Type II diabetes (T2D) in mainland China. In 2024, Zang et al. used wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a proxy to analyze antibiotic usage in Eastern China, finding the highest concentrations and prescriptions were associated with macrolide and quinolone antibiotics [8]. These results provide context to a 2022 study performed by Shuai et al. which showed that ARGs caused by these antibiotic classes were strongly correlated with the T2D disease state [7]. Together, this data adds to a growing body of evidence that stresses the importance of antibiotic stewardship in preventing human disease worldwide.
