Integrated Microbiota-Bile Acid Analysis as Potential NonInvasive Biomarkers for Ulcerative Colitis Staging Diagnose

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Metabolomics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Clinical staging of ulcerative colitis (UC) is challenging due to reliance on invasive endoscopic biopsies and poor patient compliance.
• Non-invasive biomarkers are needed for accurate monitoring of UC progression and activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a non-invasive, integrated biochemical index for quantitatively tracking UC pathological activity.
• To identify microbial and metabolic signatures associated with UC disease states.

Main Methods:

• Integrated analysis of metabolomic profiling, 16S rRNA, and metagenomic sequencing on serum and fecal samples.
• Comparison of samples from active UC patients, remission UC patients, and healthy controls.
• Analysis of bile acid profiles and their correlation with microbiome composition and UC activity.

Main Results:

• Several bile acid-transforming species correlated significantly with UC pathological activity.
• Identified bacterial gene markers related to secondary bile acid synthesis differentiated UC disease stages.
• Reduced serum deoxycholic acid (DCA)/cholic acid (CA) ratio and increased fecal ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)/chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) ratio were associated with UC activity.
• Serum/fecal bile acid ratios showed high accuracy in predicting UC outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Integrated microbiome-bile acid profiles can predict UC disease activity, offering a non-invasive diagnostic approach.
• Targeting microbiome-mediated gut flora and bile acid homeostasis may improve therapeutic efficacy for UC.
• These findings can enhance clinical diagnosis and optimize UC treatments.