Advancement of the relationship between esophageal microorganisms and esophageal diseases

Abstract

Research on esophageal microbiota is now still a relatively new field though with certain message has been known. Previously, the esophagus was considered devoid of a significant bacterial population. Any bacteria present were considered to be transient, presumptively translocated from the oropharynx or from the stomach. Later, with the application of metagenomic approaches, the esophagus was found not a sterile site and did not simply contain a transient microbial population originating either from the oral cavity by swallowing or from the stomach by gastroesophageal reflux (GER),but was with its unique profile maps. Currently, knowledge about esophageal microbiota was mainly focused on the observational results of changes of the structure and richness of different microbiota under different local esophageal conditions. Studies involved in the causative relationships between dysbiosis or specific bacterial species and GERD-related or other esophageal diseases are few. Here, we provide an updated review of current knowledge on the esophageal microbiota in health and in different esophageal diseases and discuss the major challenges encountered in investigation of this topic, looking forward to helping future exploring.