TY - JOUR
T1 - Gut microbiota analysis in systemic sclerosis according to disease characteristics and nutritional status
AU - Natalello, Gerlando
AU - Bosello, Silvia Laura
AU - Sterbini, Francesco Paroni
AU - Posteraro, Brunella
AU - De Lorenzis, Enrico
AU - Canestrari, Giovanni Battista
AU - Gigante, Laura
AU - Verardi, Lucrezia
AU - Ferraccioli, Gianfranco
AU - Sanguinetti, Maurizio
AU - Gremese, Elisa
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Objective. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare multi-organ disorder with a prominent gastrointestinal (GI) involvement. Altered gut microbiota is now considered a pivotal factor associated with the development of immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases. We performed a 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-sequencing analysis of fecal microbiota in a cohort of SSc patients and matched healthy controls (HCs), with the aim to obtain some hints about a possible role of dysbiosis in the onset, progression, and severity of the disease. Methods. We analysed stool samples from 63 SSc patients with different disease duration, phenotype, and nutritional status and from 17 HCs through 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-sequencing. Results. Microbial richness was lower for patients with long-standing disease. A similar observation was made for patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dsSSc) compared to those with limited variant (lcSSc) and for patients who reported a recent weight loss. Consistent with previous reports, we noted a deviation of the intestinal microbial composition in patients with SSc compared to HCs, with a greater expression of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus and a depletion of Sutterella. Nutritional status, assessed using BMI as a surrogate, appeared to have a marked impact on the gut microbiota, with overweight patients showing lower richness compared both to underweight and normal-BMI patients. Conclusion. Our findings expand the current knowledge of gut microbiota in SSc and could be useful to identify patients who would most benefit from treatments aimed at restoring the eubiosis.
AB - Objective. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare multi-organ disorder with a prominent gastrointestinal (GI) involvement. Altered gut microbiota is now considered a pivotal factor associated with the development of immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases. We performed a 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-sequencing analysis of fecal microbiota in a cohort of SSc patients and matched healthy controls (HCs), with the aim to obtain some hints about a possible role of dysbiosis in the onset, progression, and severity of the disease. Methods. We analysed stool samples from 63 SSc patients with different disease duration, phenotype, and nutritional status and from 17 HCs through 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-sequencing. Results. Microbial richness was lower for patients with long-standing disease. A similar observation was made for patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dsSSc) compared to those with limited variant (lcSSc) and for patients who reported a recent weight loss. Consistent with previous reports, we noted a deviation of the intestinal microbial composition in patients with SSc compared to HCs, with a greater expression of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus and a depletion of Sutterella. Nutritional status, assessed using BMI as a surrogate, appeared to have a marked impact on the gut microbiota, with overweight patients showing lower richness compared both to underweight and normal-BMI patients. Conclusion. Our findings expand the current knowledge of gut microbiota in SSc and could be useful to identify patients who would most benefit from treatments aimed at restoring the eubiosis.
KW - 16S ribosomal RNA
KW - Gut microbiota
KW - Microbial diversity
KW - Nutritional status
KW - Systemic sclerosis
KW - 16S ribosomal RNA
KW - Gut microbiota
KW - Microbial diversity
KW - Nutritional status
KW - Systemic sclerosis
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/166926
M3 - Article
SN - 0392-856X
VL - 38
SP - S73-S84
JO - Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology
JF - Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology
ER -