Dysbiosis exists in unaffected relatives of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): emphasising the critical phases in the developmental trajectory of gut microbiota

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has emerged as a global disease, affecting individuals of every ethnicity and age groups worldwide.1 It is broadly accepted that the greatest single risk factor for the development of IBD is having an affected family member.2 First-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with IBD have approximately a 10-fold greater likelihood of developing the disease than the general population. Despite the fact that numerous studies have been deliciated towards exploring the possible determinants that participated in, the underlying aetiology remains elusive. Amalgamation of both genetic predisposition and environmental exposures have been widely recognised as the predominant factors that instigate and drive the course of IBD. On this basis, they may also serve as contributing factors to the familial occurrence of IBD. Given that the family members of patients with IBD represent a specific population enduring this dual challenges over an extended period, it is of great concern to recognise whether undesirable alterations have manifested in these clinically asymptomatic relatives. Among numerous possibilities, changes of gut microbiome may be the overarching mechanism via which these two risk factors mediate their effect on IBD. A comprehensive understanding of gut microbiome alterations among unaffected relatives will advance our elucidation of the complexities underlying the familial aggregation of IBD. In Gut , Jacobs et al examined the gut dysbiosis and consequential functional dysregulation in members from high-risk IBD families with age spectrum from birth to senescence.3 In derivation cohort comprised 387 individuals from multiplex IBD family and 51 individuals from control families, an IBD-associated pattern of gut dysbiosis, which defined from their prior research, was observed among unaffected members from multiplex IBD families. Such dysbiosis manifested from birth with the character of delayed microbiome maturation in infants born to mothers with IBD in the early life. Starting from late …