The composition of gut bacteria may be linked to relapse in patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), new study findings suggest.
Commensal gut microbes are known to affect host immune function, according to Dr Mary Horton of the University of California, Berkeley, USA. “Recent work suggests gut microbiota composition contributes to onset of MS; however, little is known about its contribution to MS disease activity,” she noted.
Dr Horton and colleagues analyzed gut microbiota from 53 cases of pediatric MS (age at symptom onset <18 years) and investigated the relationship with subsequent disease activity.