A comprehensive analysis of gut and skin microbiota in canine atopic dermatitis in Shiba Inu dogsOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers profiled both gut and skin microbiota in Shiba Inu dogs with canine atopic dermatitis (cAD), a breed prone to the condition. They also examined how oclacitinib, a JAK inhibitor commonly used to treat cAD, affects microbial composition at both sites.
How was it studied?
The team compared cAD affected dogs to healthy dogs using microbial community profiling of skin and gut samples. Dogs were also genotyped for mitochondrial DNA haplogroup to test for association with microbiota composition.
What did they find?
Staphylococcus dominated the skin microbiota, while Escherichia/Shigella and Clostridium sensu stricto were highly abundant in the gut of cAD affected dogs. Fusobacteria and Megamonas were abundant in healthy dogs but significantly reduced with cAD, and their levels tracked disease state and treatment response. Oclacitinib treatment shifted cAD microbiota composition toward the healthy pattern, most notably in the gut. Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup varied within the breed and was associated with gut and skin microbial composition.
Why it matters
This is the first evidence of gut dysbiosis, not just skin dysbiosis, in canine atopic dermatitis. It supports exploring gut microbiota modulation, alongside skin-directed approaches, as a potential treatment strategy for this chronic relapsing condition.