Examining the Gut Microbiome in Haitians Post-Migration to the United States

摘要。海地人是美国增长最快的移民群体之一。这些 移民经历高水平的心理困扰（即，抑郁、焦虑、疲劳和疼痛）， 导致进行性功能障碍、残疾、经济负担和长期健康状况不佳 结果。了解移徙后早期心理困扰的成因， 纵向将有助于告知干预的类型和时机，以减少心理障碍的致残影响。 并改善这些得不到充分服务的人口的生活质量。然而，没有研究表明， 海地人的心理困扰及其生物行为、心理社会和文化特征 移民在美国居住的头几个月内或随着时间的推移。虽然多种生物过程 可能与心理困扰有关，越来越多的证据表明，肠道微生物组（GM）的多样性 和组成通过双向微生物组-肠-脑轴发挥重要作用。迁移后， 转基因组成和多样性的变化体现了健康的社会决定因素的变化（[SDoH];例如， 压力，社会人口因素，生活方式行为，饮食模式，文化适应，环境和 社会文化条件），这也会导致心理困扰的风险。随着在美国的时间越来越长， 新移民的转基因变得更加西化，微生物系统发育多样性减少， 本地转基因物种以及微生物群丰度的属级变化。推动这些通用汽车的SDoH 这些变化是可以通过文化上敏感的干预措施加以改变的。因此，全球机制有可能作为 这既是心理困扰风险的早期指标，也是减轻其影响的工具。总体目标为 这项纵向试点队列研究旨在调查心理困扰、GM 组成/多样性，以及最近海地移民到美国的移民后SDoH。具体目标是：（1） 通过分析T1（< 6）时自行采集的粪便样本，对60名近期海地移民的GM进行表征 在美国为6个月）和T2（T1后6个月），并描述组成/多样性随时间的变化，以及2） 检查移民后SDoH，GM组成/多样性和心理之间的纵向关联 最近的海地移民。我假设，在最近的海地移民中，a）移民到 US与转基因成分和多样性随时间的变化有关，B）转基因成分的变化 和多样性与移民后SDoH和心理困扰的变化有关。主要研究者有 组建了一个由资深科学家组成的跨学科指导团队，他们在症状科学、转基因、 生物文化方法、移民健康差异、基因组学和生物信息学。该项目将提供 基金会为PI建立一个独立的翻译研究计划，重点是发展文化 有针对性的干预措施，减轻心理困扰，改善长期健康结果， 减少健康差距，提高少数民族移民人口的健康公平性。

ABSTRACT. Haitians comprise one of the fastest growing subgroups of immigrants in the US. These immigrants experience high levels of psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, fatigue, and pain), contributing to progressive functional impairment, disability, economic burden, and poor long-term health outcomes. Knowledge of factors contributing to psychological distress early in the post-migration period and longitudinally will help inform type and timing of interventions to reduce the disabling effects of psychological distress and improve quality of life for this underserved population. Yet no studies have examined psychological distress and its underlying biobehavioral, psychosocial, and cultural characteristics in Haitian immigrants within the first few months of residence in the US or over time. While multiple biological processes may be associated with psychological distress, rising evidence suggests that gut microbiome (GM) diversity and composition play an important role via the bidirectional microbiome-gut-brain axis. After migration, changes in GM composition and diversity embody changes in the social determinants of health ([SDoH]; e.g., stress, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, dietary patterns, acculturation, environmental and sociocultural conditions) that also contribute to risk for psychological distress. With more time in the US, the GM of recent immigrants becomes more Westernized, with reductions of microbial phylogenetic diversity and native GM species as well as genera-level shifts in microbiota abundance. The SDoH that drive these GM changes are modifiable through culturally responsive interventions. The GM thus has the potential to serve as both an early indicator of risk for psychological distress and a tool to mitigate its effects. The overall goal for this longitudinal pilot cohort study is to investigate associations between psychological distress, GM composition/diversity, and post-migration SDoH in recent Haitian immigrants to the US. Specific aims are to 1) Characterize the GM in 60 recent Haitian immigrants by analyzing self-collected stool samples at T1 (< 6 months in the US) and T2 (6 months after T1) and describe changes in composition/diversity over time and 2) Examine longitudinal associations between post-migration SDoH, GM composition/diversity, and psychological distress among recent Haitian immigrants. I hypothesize that, in recent Haitian immigrants, a) migration to the US is associated with changes in GM composition and diversity over time, and b) changes in GM composition and diversity are associated with changes in post-migration SDoH and psychological distress. The PI has assembled an interdisciplinary mentoring team of senior scientists with expertise in symptom science, GM, biocultural approaches, immigrant health disparities, genomics, and bioinformatics. This project will provide the foundation for the PI to build an independent translational research program focused on developing culturally responsive targeted interventions that mitigate psychological distress, improve long-term health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and increase health equity in ethnic-minority immigrant populations.