Gut multi-omics profiling in Crohn's disease: A preliminary study

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases are classic polygenic disorders, with genetic loads that reflect immunopathological processes in response to intestinal microbiota. Our goal was to assess gut bacterial community, microRNA (miRNA), and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) signatures associated with the activity of Crohn's disease (CD).Methods: DNA, miRNA, and metabolites were extracted from stool samples of 15 CD patients, eight with active disease and seven in remission, and nine healthy individuals. Microbial, miRNA and SCFA profiles were assessed using datasets from 16s rRNA sequencing, Nanostring miRNA and GC-MS targeted analysis, respectively. 16S rRNA sequencing was conducted with Ion Torrent PGM and is based on 7 hypervariable regions.