Gut Dysbiosis Associated with Lupus Flares

A five-year study tracked microbes from fecal samples from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients to find out how gut microbes affect lupus flares. Their publication, Longitudinal gut microbiome analyses and blooms of pathogenic strains during lupus disease flares, documents their findings.

The researchers found that the bacteria Ruminococcus gnavus increased during lupus flares. While they identified dozens of genes that may favor the bacterium’s growth in inflammatory conditions, the most common feature among the strains was the expression of a lipoglycan that can prompt an immune response. However, the researchers found that some patients had low levels of Ruminococcus gnavus, further underscoring the complexity behind the many factors contributing to autoimmune disease flare ups.

This work was the first longitudinal study of the role of gut microbes in SLE.

Citation: 

Azzouz, D. F., et al. (2023). Longitudinal gut microbiome analyses and blooms of pathogenic strains during lupus disease flares. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 82(10), 1315–1327. https://doi.org/10.1136/ard-2023-223929