Alterations in gut microbiota linked to health-related quality of life outcomes in IBD

For patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), alterations in gut microbiota are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

R.D. Little, from the University of New South Wales in Australia, and colleagues measured HRQoL and its association with clinical and microbial features in patients with IBD and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 751 participants were included: 305 HCs, 232 with Crohn’s disease (CD), and 214 with ulcerative colitis (UC). Fecal and oral samples, demographics, and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and the 32-item IBD Questionnaire (IBDQ-32) surveys were obtained at baseline.

The researchers found that HRQoL was lower in patients with IBD versus HCs using the SF-36 (physical component summary score, 51.6 versus 55.7; mental component summary score, 45.1 versus 52.2). Impaired IBD-HRQoL (IBDQ-32 score <170) was common in CD and UC (42% and 41%), despite high rates of remission. Lower alpha diversity and distinct beta diversity were seen for patients with impaired IBDQ-32 scores versus those with preserved IBD-HRQoL.

In patients with CD and patients with UC, 62 genera were associated with at least one HRQoL measure. Associations between genera and HRQoL measures outweighed microbial associations with clinical and biochemical activity in number and strength.

“We show that alterations in gut microbiota are significantly and consistently associated with general and IBD-specific HRQoL outcomes in IBD,” the authors write.

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