Microbial volume and diversity is essential.
The gut microbiome—the microbial community in the intestinal tract—is an influencer of metabolism and immunity and a mediator of resistance to some pathogenic infections.1
A distinct and essential organ within the human body, the gut microbiome contains an estimated 500-1000 species and 100 trillion organisms, encoding 100-fold more unique genes than our own genome.1-4
In its balanced state, there is a symbiotic relationship between luminal bacteria and our human cells.5
These cells communicate and form long-lasting, interactive associations that play a vital role in conservation of mucosal immune function, epithelial barrier integrity, motility, and nutrient absorption.5-7
Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are most prevalent in the gut microbime and work symbiotically8-10
Gram-negative Bacteroidetes
Their ability to adapt and persist in changing gut environments allows abundance and stability,8,11-13 providing long-term associations with human hosts and enabling functions that include8..
- Immunomodulatory effects8,a
- Inhibitory activities against C. diff and reduction of colonization14,a,b
Gram-positive Firmicutes
Composed of helpful and harmful bacteria,2,15 Firmicutes are the most abundant and diverse bacterial gut species,2 with functions that include:
- Anti-inflammatory effects16-18,c
- Fortification of gut barrier (along with other bacteria)19-21,b
Deficiencies in Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are particularly associated with C. diff infection.2,9,22
C. diff infection can be more
dangerous when it recurs.
Can the power of the microbiome help
change the course of treatment?
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References
- Gilbert JA, Blaser MJ, Caporaso JG, et al. Current understanding of the human microbiome. Nat Med. 2018;24(4):392-400.
- Antharam VC, Li EC, Ishmael A, et al. Intestinal dysbiosis and depletion of butyrogenic bacteria in Clostridium difficile infection and nosocomial diarrhea. J Clin Microbiol. 2013;51(9):2884-2892.
- Thursby E, Juge N. Introduction to the human gut microbiota. Biochem J. 2017;474(11):1823-1836.
- Marchesi JR, Adams DH, Fava F, et al. The gut microbiota and host health: a new clinical frontier. Gut. 2016;65(2):330-339.
- Bien J, Palagani V, Bozko P. The intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and Clostridium difficile infection: is there a relationship with inflammatory bowel disease? Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2013;6(1):53-68.
- Ley R, Hamady M, Lozupone C, et al. Evolution of mammals and their gut microbes. Science. 2008;320(5883):1647-1651.
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- Wexler AG, Goodman AL. An insider’s perspective: Bacteroides as a window into the microbiome. Nat Microbiol. 2017;2(1):17115.
- Rinninella E, Raoul P, Cintoni M, et al. What is the healthy gut microbiota composition? A changing ecosystem across age, environment, diet, and diseases. Microorganisms. 2019;(7)1:14.
- Nishijima S, Suda W, Oshima K, et al. The gut microbiome of healthy Japanese and its microbial and functional uniqueness. DNA Res. 2016;23(2)(Suppl Table S6).
https://academic.oup.com/dnaresearch/article/23/2/125/1745357#supplementary-data. Accessed September 5, 2021. - Gill SR, Pop M, Deboy RT, et al. Metagenomic analysis of the human distal gut microbiome. Science. 2006;312(5778):1355-1359.
- Kurokawa K, Itoh T, Kuwahara T, et al. Comparative metagenomics revealed commonly enriched gene sets in human gut microbiomes. DNA Res. 2007;14(4):169-181.
- Faith JJ, Guruge JL, Charbonneau M, et al. The long-term stability of the human gut microbiota. Science. 2013;341(6141):1237439.
- Li X, Kang Y, Huang Y, et al. A strain of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron attenuates colonization of Clostridioides difficile and affects intestinal microbiota and bile acids profile in a mouse model. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021;137:111290.
- Kho ZY, Lal SK. The human gut microbiome—a potential controller of wellness and disease. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1835.
- Sokol H, Pigneur B, Watterlot L, et al. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is an anti-inflammatory commensal bacterium identified by gut microbiota analysis of Crohn disease patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105(43):16731-16736.
- Willing BP, Dicksved J, Halfvarson J, et al. A pyrosequencing study in twins shows that gastrointestinal microbial profiles vary with inflammatory bowel disease phenotypes. Gastroenterology. 2010;139(6):1844-1854.e1.
- Machiels K, Joossens M, Sabino J, et al. A decrease of the butyrate-producing species Roseburia hominis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii defines dysbiosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. Gut. 2014;63(8):1275-1283.
- Paust S, Lu L, Mccarty N, Cantor H. Engagement of B7 on effector T cells by regulatory T cells prevents autoimmune disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004;101(28):10398-10403.
- El Aidy S, van Baarlen P, Derrien M, et al. Temporal and spatial interplay of microbiota and intestinal mucosa drive establishment of immune homeostasis in conventionalized mice. Mucosal Immunol. 2012;5(5):567-579.
- Lawley TD, Walker AW. Intestinal colonization resistance. Immunology. 2013;138(1):1-11.
- Martens EC, Koropatkin NM, Smith TJ, Gordon JI. Complex glycan catabolism by the human gut microbiota: the bacteroidetes Sus-like paradigm. J Biol Chem. 2009;284(37):24673-24677.