Autoimmune diseases exhibit shared alterations in the gut microbiota

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Immunology
• Genomics

Background:

• Intestinal microbes play modulatory roles in human diseases.
• Shared microbial signatures across diverse diseases are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify shared gut microbial alterations across 17 disease types using meta-analyses.
• To investigate the role of Lactobacillus salivarius in inflammatory disease models.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of 34 case-control datasets using 16S rRNA sequencing data.
• In vivo functional studies using dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis and collagen type II-induced arthritis mouse models.

Main Results:

• Microbial alterations were more consistent in autoimmune diseases compared to cancer, metabolic, and nervous system diseases.
• Specific bacterial genera were enriched (e.g., Enterococcus, Lactobacillus) or depleted (e.g., Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium) in autoimmune diseases.
• Lactobacillus salivarius demonstrated protective roles in experimental inflammatory models.

Conclusions:

• A strong link exists between autoimmune diseases and gut microbiota composition.
• Consistent microbial signatures suggest transferable therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiome for autoimmune diseases.
• Bacterial genera associated with disease may have protective or adaptive roles, not solely antagonistic.