Gut microbiome of multiple sclerosis patients and paired household healthy controls reveal associations with disease risk and course

Changes in gut microbiota have been associated with several diseases. Here, the International Multiple Scle-rosis Microbiome Study (iMSMS) studied the gut microbiome of 576 MS patients (36% untreated) and genet-ically unrelated household healthy controls (1,152 total subjects). We observed a significantly increased proportion of Akkermansia muciniphila, Ruthenibacterium lactatiformans, Hungatella hathewayi, and Eisen-bergiella tayi and decreased Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Blautia species. The phytate degradation pathway was over-represented in untreated MS, while pyruvate-producing carbohydrate metabolism path-ways were significantly reduced. Microbiome composition, function, and derived metabolites also differed in response to disease-modifying treatments. The therapeutic activity of interferon-b may in part be associated with upregulation of short-chain fatty acid transporters. Distinct microbial networks were observed in un-treated MS and healthy controls. These results strongly support specific gut microbiome associations with MS risk, course and progression, and functional changes in response to treatment.

Automated summary

The study found that the gut microbiome of multiple sclerosis patients is different from that of healthy controls. Specific microbial changes were observed in untreated MS patients. The therapeutic activity of interferon-b may be associated with upregulation of short-chain fatty acid transporters. These findings suggest a close association between the gut microbiome and multiple sclerosis risk, progression, and treatment response.