Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Chronic Salmonella Infection Induced Intestinal Fibrosis
Published on: September 22, 2019
Increased Enterococcus faecalis infection is associated with clinically active Crohn disease
Youlian Zhou1, Huiting Chen, Hanchang He
1aDepartment of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou bThe First People's Foshan Hospital, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong cDepartment of Pediatrics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University dGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
Pathogenic gut microbes like Enterococcus faecalis and Fusobacterium species are more abundant in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Increased Enterococcus faecalis levels correlate with more severe Crohn disease activity.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves chronic gut inflammation.
- Gut microbiota dysbiosis is implicated in IBD pathogenesis.
- Specific pathogenic bacteria may contribute to IBD severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between pathogenic gut bacteria and IBD severity in Chinese patients.
- To compare bacterial levels between ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn disease (CD), and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Collected clinical data and fecal samples from 47 UC, 67 CD patients, and 48 healthy volunteers.
- Quantified levels of Fusobacterium spp., B. fragilis, E. coli, and E. faecalis using qRT-PCR.
- Analyzed correlations between bacterial abundance and clinical parameters using Spearman correlation.
Main Results:
- Fusobacterium spp. and E. faecalis were significantly increased in IBD patients compared to controls.
- B. fragilis and E. faecalis levels differed between CD and UC patients.
- Higher E. faecalis colonization in CD correlated positively with disease activity, CDAI, and fecal calprotectin.
Conclusions:
- Fusobacterium spp. and E. faecalis are enriched in IBD patients.
- Increased E. faecalis colonization is linked to clinically active Crohn disease.
- These findings suggest a role for specific pathogens in IBD progression and activity.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
01:21Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:24Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are: