The intestinal microbiota disequilibrium has been associated with obesity, while the role of the gut mucosal biofilms in this pathology is still unknown. We analysed the changes in the intestinal microbiota of obese patients after bariatric surgery with the aim of disclosing the rearrangement of the biofilm configuration. Although the bariatric surgery drives major rearrangements of the gut microbiota, obese patients maintain the Prevotella enterotype before and after surgery, as shown by normal weight patients, with an increase of Bacteroides vulgatus and Bacteroides uniformis. The Bacteroides enterotype guarantees the strong ability to form a biofilm which allows a more efficient digestion of polysaccharides than planktonic communities and leads to the production of acetate which is a key player to inhibit enteropathogens. Additionally, the laparoscopic gastric bypass induces an increase of Hafniaalvei (Proteobacteria), a facultative anaerobic bacterium involved in intestinal and inflammatory disorders. Bariatric surgery influences the microbial composition of gut biofilm. Further studies are needed to elucidate the impact of this variation on recovery after surgery and on weight loss.
