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The following is a summary of “Inflammatory bowel disease associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis is associated with an altered gut microbiome and bile acid profile,” published in the July 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Leibovitzh et al.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis (IBD-PSC) may have gut bacteria and bile acid (BA) profiles linked to disease severity.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating how the gut microbiome and BA profiles differ between patients with IBD-PSC and patients with IBD only.

They enrolled 54 subjects with IBD-PSC and 62 (2012 and 2021). Baseline samples included fecal DNA shotgun metagenomic sequencing, mass spectrometry for fecal and serum BA quantitation, and fecal calprotectin. Liver fibrosis in the IBD-PSC group was measured using transient elastography (TE). The analysis involved general linear regression models and Spearman rank correlation tests.

The results showed that patients with IBD-PSC exhibited decreased microbial gene richness (P=0.004) and notable compositional shifts (PERMANOVA: R²=0.01, P=0.03) than patients with IBD-only. The IBD-PSC was associated with altered microbial composition and function, including a lesser abundance of Blautia obeum, a high abundance of Veillonella atypica, Veillonella dispar, and Clostridium scindens (q<0.05 for all), and increased abundance of microbial genes involved in secondary metabolism of BA.

Investigators concluded that patients with IBD-PSC displayed distinct gut bacteria, metabolic functions, and blood BA profiles compared to IBD-only, suggesting potential avenues for managing IBD progression in patients with PSC.

Source: academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae096/7709992