Lack of fibre-fermenting gut microbes in multiple sclerosis may result in prebiotic dietary fibre beta-fructan promoting inflammation and CNS damage

Some people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) display changes in their gut microbiota and worsened symptoms following a high-fibre diet. We hypothesized that dietary fibres that are not adequately fermented by gut microbes, and that unfermented beta-fructans induce inflammation in PwMS.Stool samples and diet data were collected from participants in the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network (n=17 MS, n=20 unaffected controls; all <22 years). Daily fibre subtype intakes were calculated. Fecal samples were subjected to metagenomic sequencing to assess functional capacity of the microbiome and associated with fibre consumption in PwMS and unaffected persons.