Shared Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Immune-Mediated Diseases: Insights and Biomarkers Original paper
-
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune disease is when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues, often linked to imbalances in the microbiome, which can disrupt immune regulation and contribute to disease development.
-
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
OverviewIn the past decade, research has shown that the enormous community of microbes that live in the gut, known as the gut microbiota, are closely linked to human health and disease. This relationship is primarily due to the gut microbiota’s impact on systemic immune responses. There is growing evidence that these impacts on immune function are […]
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Karen Pendergrass
What was studied?
This study explored the gut microbiota composition in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) such as Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), multiple sclerosis (MS), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to healthy controls (HC). Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, researchers assessed microbial diversity, richness, and specific taxonomic biomarkers to identify common and unique microbial features across these IMIDs. Machine learning techniques were applied to differentiate microbial patterns between diseases and controls further.
Who was studied?
The cohort included 79 patients across the four IMIDs (20 with CD, 19 with UC, 19 with MS, 21 with RA) and 23 healthy controls. Participants were adults, not on antibiotics for at least eight weeks, and recruited from clinical centers in Canada. Stool samples were collected twice within a two-month interval for analysis.
What were the most important findings?
The study revealed significant microbial dysbiosis in all IMIDs compared to healthy controls. Richness and diversity were lowest in CD and highest in HCs. Taxa such as Actinomyces, Eggerthella, and Streptococcus were enriched in disease cohorts, while beneficial taxa like Roseburia and Gemmiger were depleted. Disease-specific patterns were also identified: Intestinibacter in CD, Bifidobacterium in UC, and unclassified Erysipelotrichaceae in MS. Machine learning highlighted microbial signatures capable of differentiating diseases from HC, with the best classification accuracy observed in CD versus HC (AUC = 0.95).
Key Findings
Microbial Diversity and Richness: Patients with IMIDs exhibited reduced gut microbial richness and diversity compared to HCs, with CD showing the lowest diversity.
Common Dysbiosis Across IMIDs: Certain taxa, such as Actinomyces, Eggerthella, Faecalicoccus, and Streptococcus, were consistently enriched in IMID patients, while Gemmiger, Lachnospira, and Sporobacter were depleted across all disease cohorts.
Disease-Specific Microbiota Signatures: Intestinibacter was elevated in CD. Bifidobacterium was enriched in UC. Erysipelotrichaceae was more abundant in MS. Roseburia was significantly reduced in RA.
Machine Learning Classification: Machine learning models effectively distinguished between IMID and HC cohorts, with the highest classification accuracy for CD (AUC ~0.95). Features like Gemmiger (elevated in HCs) and Faecalicoccus (elevated in IMIDs) were identified as significant markers.
Gram-Positive Focus: The study highlighted an unusually low abundance of Gram-negative bacteria, focusing analysis on Gram-positive taxa, which still yielded meaningful insights into IMID-specific dysbiosis.
What are the greatest implications of this study?
The findings underscore the potential of gut microbiota as diagnostic biomarkers for IMIDs. Shared microbial patterns suggest a common dysbiotic component in IMID etiology, while distinct taxa provide insight into disease-specific mechanisms. This research highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in IMID pathogenesis and opens avenues for microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs).
Microbiome-Targeted Interventions (MBTIs)
Microbiome Targeted Interventions (MBTIs) are cutting-edge treatments that utilize information from Microbiome Signatures to modulate the microbiome, revolutionizing medicine with unparalleled precision and impact.