Altered Gut Microbiome Composition and Function Are Associated With Gut Barrier Dysfunction in Healthy Relatives of Patients With Crohn’s Disease
This study investigated the relationship between the bacteria in the gut and their association with altered gut barrier function in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The gut barrier plays an essential role as both a physical and functional barrier between the external environment and the host, thus regulating the entry of potentially harmful macro- and microorganisms as well as nutrients. Our research group has reported that alterations to gut barrier function is present before CD develops, but little is known about why these changes occur. This study demonstrated that in the GEM cohort, individuals with impaired gut barrier function had a different gut bacteria population compared to those with normal gut barrier function. This study is the first to find an association between the gut bacteria population and the gut barrier function in humans. We hope these findings may help to identify potential microbial targets to modulate the gut barrier.
Leibovitzh H, Lee SH, Xue M, Raygoza Garay JA, Hernandez-Rocha C, Madsen KL, Meddings JB, Guttman DS, Espin-Garcia O, Smith MI, Goethel A, Griffiths AM, Moayyedi P, Steinhart AH, Panancionne R, Huynh H, Jacobson K, Aumais G, Mack DR, Abreu M, Bernstein CN, Marshall JK, Turner D, Xu W; CCC GEM Project Research Consortium, Turpin W, Croitoru K. Altered gut microbiome composition and function are associated with gut barrier dysfunction in healthy relatives of patients with Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology. 2022 Jul 15: 163(5):163(5):1364-1376.e10. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2022.07.004