Gut Microbiome Composition Is Associated With Future Onset of Crohn’s Disease in Healthy First-Degree Relatives
Research has established that the composition of bacteria residing in the gut is altered in patients with Crohn’s Disease (CD), however, whether these changes to the bacterial populations are associated with CD onset or occur as direct result of the disease or disease treatment remained unknown. To answer this question, gut bacteria populations were characterized using a machine learning approach in the healthy first-degree relatives of the GEM Project cohort. This study found that the gut bacteria composition is associated with the future onset of CD, and suggested that the bacteria residing in the gut may contribute to disease development. With this understanding, a microbiome risk score (MRS) was developed, which ranks individuals according to their risk of developing CD based on the analysis of their gut bacteria.
Raygoza Garay JA, Turpin W, Lee SH, Smith MI, Goethel A, Griffiths AM, Moayyedi P, Espin-Garcia O, Abreu M, Aumais GL, Bernstein CN, Biron IA, Cino M, Deslandres C, Dotan I, El-Matary W, Feagan B, Guttman DS, Huynh H, Dieleman LA, Hyams JS, Jacobson K, Mack D, Marshall JK, Otley A, Panaccione R, Ropeleski M, Silverberg MS, Steinhart AH, Turner D, Yerushalmi B, Paterson AD, Xu W; CCC GEM Project Research Consortium; Croitoru K. Gut Microbiome Composition is associated with future onset of Crohn's Disease in Healthy First-Degree Relatives. Gastroenterology. 2023 May 30:S0016-5085(23)00805-3. doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2023.05.032.