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Microbial network disturbances in relapsing refractory Crohn's disease
Bahtiyar Yilmaz1,2, Pascal Juillerat1,2, Ove Øyås3
1Maurice Müller Laboratories, Department for Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Nature Medicine
|January 22, 2019
Summary
Distinct gut bacteria networks in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) predict disease severity and treatment response. Altered Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae associations indicate higher relapse risk in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), have complex etiologies with over 150 identified host susceptibility genes.
- Existing genetic factors do not fully explain the wide spectrum of IBD incidence and disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify microbial taxa associations within intestinal biopsies that correlate with IBD clinical phenotypes and treatment outcomes.
- To investigate the role of specific bacterial networks in disease recurrence and response to anti-TNF-α therapy.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of distinct microbial taxa associations in intestinal biopsies from two long-term IBD cohorts.
- Replication of key findings across cohorts to validate network associations.
- Correlation of microbial network alterations with disease activity, treatment response (anti-TNF-α), and post-surgical recurrence in CD patients.
Main Results:
- Distinct microbial association networks were identified in CD and UC patients.
- Disturbances in a network involving Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families, known for short-chain fatty acid production, were linked to frequently relapsing disease.
- These network alterations also predicted poor response to anti-TNF-α therapy and increased risk of recurrence after CD surgery.
Conclusions:
- Specific gut microbial network disturbances, particularly involving Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, are key indicators of IBD severity and treatment outcomes.
- These findings highlight the potential of microbial biomarkers for predicting disease course and guiding therapeutic strategies in IBD.
- Targeting these microbial alterations may offer novel therapeutic avenues for managing inflammatory bowel diseases.
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