Gut dysbiosis influences the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis: A case-control study from North India
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Alterations in gut microbiota have been linked to pathophysiology of immune-mediated diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). This study was undertaken to characterise the gut microbiome profile in North Indian MS patients and to evaluate gut health using biomarkers like zonulin (intestinal permeability) and calprotectin (intestinal inflammation).
METHODS
84 Patients with relapsing-remitting MS patients (RRMS) of 18-75 years of age with an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score less than or equal to 5.5 and 106 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for the study. Gut microbiota was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Clinical, demographic, anthropometric, and dietary details were recorded. Sandwich ELISA was used to quantify serum zonulin and fecal calprotectin levels.
RESULTS
MS patients had lower alpha microbial diversity, while distinct beta diversity metrics were observed in MS and HC. Firmicutes was found to be the most abundant phylum in both groups with significant enrichment in MS than HC. In MS, significant depletion of commensal bacterial species like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Monoglobus pectinilyticus, and Bacillus species indicated gut dysbiosis. These alterations influenced the prevalence and functioning of metabolic pathways. Therefore, pathways involved in biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) were significantly enriched in MS than HC, while generation of short-chain fatty acids were predominant in HC. In addition, high…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case-control, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 84 participants or records.
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