The intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and Clostridium difficile infection: is there a relationship with inflammatory bowel disease?

Abstract

Gut microbiota is a compilation of microorganisms dwelling in the entire mammalian gastrointestinal tract. They display a symbiotic relationship with the host contributing to its intestinal health and disease. Even a slight fluctuation in this equipoise may be deleterious to the host, leading to many pathological conditions like Clostridium difficile infection or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this review, we focus on the role of microbial dysbiosis in initiation of C. difficile infection and IBD, and we also touch upon the role of specific pathogens, particularly C. difficile, as causative agents of IBD. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms activated by C. difficile that contribute to the development and exacerbation of gastrointestinal disorders.

Pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease: Bug or no bug

“…Possible complications in these patients include colectomy and death. However, there are no conclusive data in the medical literature to support the idea of the bacteria as a cause of onset or reactivation of IBD, which could be merely a consequence of the existing inflammatory status [68,69] . As mentioned, many studies have observed an increased risk of C. Difficile infection in IBD, which may be due to a variety of factors that include the altered nutritional and immunological state, repeated hospitalizations, frequent and recurrent use of antibiotics and immunomodulators and even genetic predisposition.…”

Hospitalization Type and Subsequent Severe Sepsis

“…Finally, C. difficile exploits a disordered microbiome, and thus serves as the gold-standard marker for dysbiosis (15,21).…”

Bacterial Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Subjects and Inpatients with <i>Clostridium difficile</i> Infection

“…The gut microbiota has the most diverse microbial community of all human body sites; it is dominated mainly by two bacterial phyla, the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, with a few other phyla, namely Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, making up for most of the remaining composition [1] [2]. The healthy intestinal microbiota has an active communication with the host and it is a source of health throughout multiple beneficial interactions.…”

“…The healthy intestinal microbiota has an active communication with the host and it is a source of health throughout multiple beneficial interactions. Some researchers have designated this relationship between the human body and its gut microbiota as a "superorganism", which involves both bacterial and human genes [1] [3].…”

“…This disturbance allows opportunistic bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile, to establish in this environment [1]. C. difficile is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobe.…”