Children with a high genetic risk of developing type 1 diabetes have different gut microbiomes than children with a low risk, according to a new study. The results published in the scientific journal Nature Communications suggest that genetic risk can shape an individual's response to environmental factors in the development of autoimmune diseases.
Both hereditary and environmental factors play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes, a serious autoimmune disease that often develops in childhood or adolescence. Once developed, type 1 diabetes requires lifelong intensive treatment with insulin. An increased genetic risk is not sufficient to cause the disease: environmental factors are also necessary and play a crucial role. The gut flora is such a factor, and its role in various diseases, particularly autoimmune diseases in which the gut flora plays an important role in the maturation of the immune system, has been extensively studied.
The current study is based on the ABIS study (All Babies in Southeast Sweden) at Linköping University. The aim of ABIS is to determine why children develop immune-mediated diseases, especially type 1 diabetes. In total, 17,000 children born between 1997 and 1999 have been followed with questionnaires and biological samples from birth, and then at the ages of 1,3,5, 8 years and beyond. In this new study of 403 children, researchers wanted to study the connections between genetic predisposition for disease and gut flora. The children were analysed for genetic risk based on genetic variation in HLA genes, which play an important role in the immune system. Certain variants of the HLA genes are the strongest genetic risk factors for type 1 diabetes. The gut microbiome was analysed in stool samples collected when the children were one year old. The result showed significant differences in microbiome in children with different genetic risks.
"Certain bacterial species were not found at all in children with high genetic risk, but were found in those with low or no risk. This is very interesting, as this could mean that certain species have protective effects and may be useful in future treatment to prevent autoimmune diseases. It may be that certain species cannot survive in individuals with high genetic risk", says the senior author.
Previous studies of gut flora in relation to the development of type 1 diabetes have been based on children who are all at high genetic risk for the disease. The present study is the first in which a relationship has been studied in a general population that includes children with low, neutral, and high genetic risk.
"The ABIS cohort is uniquely valuable as it allows certain types of study on the importance of environmental factors for the development of type 1 diabetes. ABIS is the only big prospective cohort in the world where a general population has been followed from birth, which allows this type of studies on how genetic and environmental factors work together", says the author.
Further research is needed to obtain deeper knowledge about how the combined effect of genetics and gut flora influence the development of type 1 diabetes. The results may also be important for the development of other autoimmune diseases where genetics is important, such as celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
https://liu.se/en/news-item/arftlig-risk-for-diabetes-kopplad-till-bakteriefloran
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11460-x
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Fgenetic-risk-for&filter=22
Latest News
Metabolic rewiring promotes…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
A drug to prevent flu-induc…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
New origin of deep brain waves
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Starving cells hijack prote…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Miniature battery-free epid…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Other Top Stories
Complement C3a treatment accelerates recovery after stroke
Read more
How chronic stress drives the brain to crave comfort food
Read more
How blood triggers brain disease
Read more
The IL-17 protein plays a key role in skin ageing
Read more
Myelin water fraction (MWF) of the corpus callosum is a robust meas…
Read more
Protocols
MemPrep, a new technology f…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
A tangible method to assess…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
Stem cell-derived vessels-o…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Apr
Single-cell biclustering fo…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Apr
Modular dual-color BiAD sen…
By newseditor
Posted 31 Mar
Publications
How does the microbiota con…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
The integrated stress respo…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
The immunobiology of herpes…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Circulating microbiome DNA…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Spindle oscillations in com…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar