We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Gut Microbes Differ Between Two Common Conditions

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 01 Jan 2019
Print article
Image: A colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, one of the most abundant anaerobic bacteria in the human gut microbiota, and its relative abundance is a biomarker of intestinal health in adults (Photo courtesy of BioFoundations).
Image: A colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, one of the most abundant anaerobic bacteria in the human gut microbiota, and its relative abundance is a biomarker of intestinal health in adults (Photo courtesy of BioFoundations).
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike IBD, IBS does not cause inflammation, ulcers or other damage to the bowel.

Instead, IBS is a much less serious problem called a functional disorder. This means that the digestive system looks normal but does not work as it should. Symptoms of IBS may include cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation and mucus in the stool. IBS has also been called spastic colon or spastic bowel.

An international team of scientists led by the University of Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands) performed metagenomic sequencing on stool samples from 355 individuals with IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), 412 individuals with IBS, and 1,025 unaffected, healthy controls, searching for microbial species and strains associated with one or both inflammatory gut conditions.

The team performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing used Illumina instruments on microbial DNA in home-collected stool samples from 1,792 well-phenotyped cases and controls from three cohorts from the Netherlands. The team's sequence data led to 219 Crohn's disease-related taxa, 102 taxa associated with ulcerative colitis, and 66 taxa with apparent ties to IBS. There was some overlap between conditions: Within IBD, for example, at least 87 of the microbes implicated in ulcerative colitis also turned up in individuals with Crohn's disease.

The scientist noted that the diversity of strains within beneficial bacterial species, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, tended to wane in the guts of individuals with IBD or IBS relative to the unaffected controls. They also saw shifts in strain diversity for 21 bacterial species in individuals with Crohn's disease, compared to strain diversity changes in 15 species in those with ulcerative colitis and one species in the IBS group. The team also estimated growth rates for a subset of the gut microbial species, identifying small sets of species that seemed to have altered abundance in each of the conditions. In addition, they investigated the differences in bacterial composition, gene content, and gene functions in the IBD and IBS cases.

The authors concluded that despite substantial overlap between the gut microbiome of patients with IBD and IBS compared with control individuals, they were able to use gut microbiota composition differences to distinguish patients with IBD from those with IBS. By combining species-level profiles and strain-level profiles with bacterial growth rates, metabolic functions, antibiotic resistance, and virulence factor analyses, they identified key bacterial species that may be involved in two common gastrointestinal diseases. The study was published on December 19, 2018, in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Related Links:
University of Groningen

Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
One Step HbA1c Measuring System
GREENCARE A1c
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
New
Gold Member
Systemic Autoimmune Testing Assay
BioPlex 2200 ANA Screen with MDSS

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The study showed the blood-based cancer screening test detects 83% of people with colorectal cancer with specificity of 90% (Photo courtesy of Guardant Health)

Blood Test Shows 83% Accuracy for Detecting Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths among adults in the U.S., with forecasts suggesting 53,010 people might die from it in 2024. While fewer older adults are dying from this... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The Gazelle Hb Variant Test (Photo courtesy of Hemex Health)

First Affordable and Rapid Test for Beta Thalassemia Demonstrates 99% Diagnostic Accuracy

Hemoglobin disorders rank as some of the most prevalent monogenic diseases globally. Among various hemoglobin disorders, beta thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, affects about 1.5% of the world's... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: These new assays are being developed for use on the recently introduced DxI 9000 Immunoassay Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Beckman Coulter)

Beckman Coulter and Fujirebio Expand Partnership on Neurodegenerative Disease Diagnostics

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (Brea, CA, USA) and Fujirebio Diagnostics (Tokyo, Japan) have expanded their partnership focused on the development, manufacturing and clinical adoption of neurodegenerative... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.