Microbiome signatures of progression toward celiac disease onset in at-risk children in a longitudinal prospective cohort study
Significance The incidence of chronic inflammatory autoimmune conditions, such as celiac disease (CD), is increasing at an alarming rate. CD is the only autoimmune condition for which the trigger, gluten, is known. However, its etiology and pathogenesis remain incompletely defined as recent studies suggest other environmental stimuli may play a key role in CD pathogenesis. Here, we prospectively examine the trajectory of the gut microbiota starting 18 mo before CD onset in 10 infants who developed CD and 10 infants who did not. We identified alterations in the gut microbiota, functional pathways, and metabolome before CD onset, suggesting our approach may be used for disease prediction with the ultimate goal of identifying early preventive interventions to reestablish tolerance and prevent autoimmunity.
