The gut microbiota profile in psoriasis: a Brazilian case-control studyOriginal 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 compared the gut microbiota of 21 Brazilian patients with psoriasis to 24 matched healthy controls. Groups were matched by sex, age, body mass index, comorbidities and smoking.
How was it studied?
Stool samples were collected from each participant at enrollment. Gut bacterial composition and diversity were analyzed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene.
What did they find?
Psoriasis patients had more Dialister and Prevotella copri than controls. They had less Ruminococcus, Lachnospira, Blautia and Akkermansia muciniphila, plus lower overall microbiota diversity.
Why it matters
The findings support a link between gut dysbiosis and psoriasis pathogenesis. Reduced Akkermansia muciniphila and overall diversity point to a compromised gut barrier and immune environment in psoriasis.