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The Intestinal Microbiome in Infectious Diseases: The Clinical Relevance of a Rapidly Emerging Field

Vanessa C Harris1,2, Bastiaan W Haak1, Michaël Boele van Hensbroek2,3

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Open Forum Infectious Diseases
|August 31, 2017
PubMed

Insights

The intestinal microbiome significantly impacts infectious diseases, influencing immune development, enteric infections, and antimicrobial resistance. Understanding this gut microbiome is crucial for infectious disease physicians in clinical practice.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The intestinal microbiome's role in health and disease is increasingly recognized.
  • A paradigm shift is occurring in infectious disease understanding due to microbiome research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To inform infectious disease physicians about the clinical relevance of the intestinal microbiome.
  • To review the pathophysiologic links between the microbiome and various infectious conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of Medline using keywords: infectious diseases, microbiome, probiotics.
  • Review of relevant articles published up to 2017 using Rayyan software.

Main Results:

  • The intestinal microbiome influences early immune development.
  • It plays a role in enteric infections and in compromised host susceptibility.
  • Microbiome alterations are linked to antimicrobial resistance.

Conclusions:

  • The intestinal microbiome is integral to microbiology and pediatric/adult infectious diseases.
  • Clinicians can utilize microbiome concepts for improved patient care.
  • Established roles in specific diseases and at-risk populations highlight its significance.
Keywords:
immunologyinfectious diseasesintestinal microbiomemicrobiology

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