Recent research found that flare-ups of the disease lupus involves microbial changes in the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is the community of microbes (fungi, bacteria, viruses) living in the small intestine.
NYU School of Medicine researchers found in a study that about half of the individuals having flare-ups of lupus (Systemic lupus erythematosus) had an overgrowth (or "bloom") of the bacteria Ruminococcus blautia gnavus. They also found that during flare-ups the gut microbiome was out-of-whack, with an increase in some harmful (pathogenic) species.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs, especially kidneys, joints, skin, blood vessels, brain, heart, and lungs. A tell-tale sign of lupus that many people get is a butterfly shaped rash across the nose and cheeks.
These research results raise the possibility that future treatments for lupus may involve somehow altering gut microbes. Maybe dietary changes or certain probiotics?
From Science Daily: Lupus flare-ups strongly linked to specific bacterial growth in gut
Recurrent bouts of systemic lupus erythematosus, marked by the body's immune system attack of its own tissues, closely tracked with measureable upticks in growth in the gut of a certain species of bacteria. ...continue reading "Lupus Involves Changes In Gut Microbes"