Fig. 3.

Stool mucin components of inflammatory bowel disease patients and healthy subjects.

(A, B) Levels of (A) mucin and (B) mucin-associated protein and O-glycan were analysed in the stools of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and healthy subjects. Data represent the mean ± standard deviation (n = 5–38/group). *p < 0·05 and **p < 0·01 (analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test or the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn's multiple comparison test). (C) Correlation network of the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), mucin components, and bacteria in stool samples. Nodes represent SCFAs, mucin components, or bacterial genera with average levels higher than 1·0%. Node colours reflect average levels in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients relative to those in healthy subjects. Red and blue lines indicate positive (Spearman's correlation coefficient > 0·3) and negative (correlation coefficient < −0·3) correlations, respectively. Edge thickness represents the strength of the correlation. Line colour intensity reflects the extent of the correlation. (D) Scatter density plots of faecal n-butyrate levels versus mucin O-glycan levels for individual disease groups. Increasing intensity of each colour (white to black, blue, or red) reflects scatter plot density. Spearman coefficients (rho) and FDRs are shown. (E) UC and Crohn's disease (CD) patients were classified tinto two groups each, based on faecal n-butyrate detection, to compare faecal levels of mucin O-glycans. Patients with n-butyrate concentrations below 0·1 μmol/g were classified as ‘-’, while the remaining patients were classified as ‘+’. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)