Imbalance of Gut <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Clostridium</i>, and <i>Akkermansia</i> Determines the Natural Course of Atopic Dermatitis in InfantOriginal 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 examined whether gut microbiota composition, function, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) at 6 months of age predict the natural course of atopic dermatitis (AD) through 24 months in infants.
How was it studied?
Fecal samples from 132 infants in the COCOA birth cohort (84 healthy controls, 22 transient AD, 26 persistent AD) were analyzed by pyrosequencing and whole-metagenome sequencing. SCFAs were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
What did they find?
Transient AD infants had low Streptococcus and high Akkermansia, while persistent AD infants had low Clostridium and Akkermansia with high Streptococcus. Streptococcus abundance correlated positively with SCORAD severity scores, while Clostridium correlated negatively. Persistent AD infants also showed reduced microbial genes for oxidative phosphorylation, and transient AD infants had lower butyrate and valerate than both other groups.
Why it matters
Distinct early gut microbiome and metabolite signatures may help distinguish infants whose atopic dermatitis will resolve from those whose disease will persist.