Gut microbiome profiling in multiple sclerosis

The gut microbiome has been implicated in numerous immunologic disorders including multiple sclerosis. However, knowledge about the presence of distinct microbial profiles in the early and later stages of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is limited. In this study, we profiled gut microbiome through 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing (V3-V4 regions) in 113 participants, including 57 patients with RRMS (29 with early RRMS and 28 with later RRMS) and 56 healthy controls. Gut microbiome composition and diversity was compared bewteen healthy controls and RRMS group, but also bewteen individuals belonging to the early or later RRMS group. Findings will extend our knowledge for the implication of gut microbiome in different stages of RRMS and potentially could improve future gut-directed interventions to slow disease progression.