Gut microbiota and sarcoidosis: a concise review

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Histological findings in sarcoid granulomas resemble those in infectious diseases.
• Lung microbiome alterations are reported in sarcoidosis patients, but findings are inconsistent.
• Microbial presence in sarcoid granulomas and tissues suggests a potential role in pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the role of microbial involvement in sarcoidosis pathogenesis.
• To describe the lung microbiota in sarcoidosis patients.
• To compare lung microbiota data with other interstitial lung diseases.

Main Methods:

• Review of studies on microbial detection in sarcoidosis (genomic, bacteriological, proteomic).
• Analysis of meta-analyses associating specific microbes (e.g., Cutibacterium acnes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis) with sarcoidosis.
• Comparison of sarcoidosis microbiomes with other chronic respiratory conditions.

Main Results:

• Conflicting results exist regarding the abundance or decrease of bacterial and fungal species in sarcoidosis.
• A meta-analysis linked Cutibacterium acnes and Mycobacterium tuberculosis to sarcoidosis.
• The causative role of microbes in sarcoidosis is not conclusively supported by current evidence.

Conclusions:

• While microbial involvement is suggested, no single microbe is confirmed as the cause of sarcoidosis.
• Further research is needed to understand the lung and gut microbiome's role in sarcoidosis.
• Restoring the intestinal microbiome may be a potential therapeutic strategy.