Age-Related Microbiota Signatures in Inflammatory Diseases: Comparative Insights into Paediatric and Adult Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Spondyloarthritis.

Abstract

Objectives: The study investigated the relationship among the human microbiota in the development and progression of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), specifically Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), as well as Spondyloarthritis (SpA), comparing paediatric and adult populations.

Methods: The research elaborated the distinct characteristics and impacts of CD, UC, and SpA across age groups. It further explored the developmental stages of the paediatric microbiota, identifying factors like delivery method, feeding, and antibiotics as critical influencers. It examined specific dysbiosis patterns in paediatric IBD and SpA associated to disease activity. Subsequently, it addressed the adult microbiota's stability and variations due to diet, lifestyle, and medications, detailing microbial alterations in adult CD, UC, and SpA.

Results: A comparative analysis underscores age-related differences in microbiota composition, clinical manifestations, and treatment responses, indicating greater yet weaker microbial populations in adults. In paediatric patients, there was a marked decrease in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and other bacteria responsible for producing short-chain fatty acids. In contrast, adults tended to show a more persistent form of dysbiosis and lower microbiome resilience. These disparities in microbial and metabolic phenotypes were strongly associated with the activity of the disease and the response to the treatment, which suggests the potential of microbiota-based biomarkers to create age-specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Conclusion: This research found that microbiota play a great role in the inflammatory diseases and they can be of great use in the current treatments as well as serve as a biomarker. The new targeted therapies underscored the necessity of patient specific microbiome studies to enhance diagnostics and therapies of these disorders throughout the lifespan.