Abstract
Aims Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), a type of autoimmune disease, occurs due to genetic predisposition and environmental factors. It is well known that thyroid function may affect the gut microbiota. However, the composition of gut microbiota in HT patients with different thyroid function status has been less highlighted. Therefore, we focused on the alterations in the composition of gut microbiota in HT patients with euthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study, including 45 HT patients with euthyroidism, 18 HT patients with hypothyroidism, and 34 healthy controls. Fecal samples were collected, and microbiota was examined by using 16S RNA ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Then, we analyzed the possible pathways in relation to the enriched bacteria by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe). Results Compared with the controls, bacterial richness and diversity were significantly lower in patients with HT, especially in hypothyroidism. Moreover, Lachnospiraceae_incertae_sedis, Lactonifactor, Alistipes, and Subdoligranulum were more enriched in HT patients with euthyroidism, while Phascolarctobacterium was more abundant in those with hypothyroidism. Further analysis suggested that Phascolarctobacterium was negatively related to several pathways, including environmental information processing and metabolism. Conclusion In summary, our study demonstrated the altered composition of gut microbiota in HT patients with different thyroid function status. Moreover, Phascolarctobacterium may be involved in the development of HT.
Highlights
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), termed chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is a type of autoimmune disease, affecting approximately 5% of the general population, in particular, the middle-aged females [1]
There are several studies that explore the relationship between gut microbiota and HT, the composition of gut microbiota in HT with different thyroid function status has been less studied. erefore, we focused on the alteration in gut microbial composition in patients having HT with euthyroidism and hypothyroidism
All participants (n 97) in the three groups, including healthy controls, HT patients with normal thyroid function (HTN), and HT patients with hypothyroid status (HTH), were females and of Han nationality. e demographic and clinical features of the participants are shown in Table 1. ere was no significant difference in BMI among the three groups
Summary
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), termed chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is a type of autoimmune disease, affecting approximately 5% of the general population, in particular, the middle-aged females [1]. HT was first described in 1912 by a Japanese surgeon and pathologist, Hakaru Hashimoto [2] It is characterized by intrathyroidal mononuclear cell infiltration, leading to gradual deterioration of the thyroid gland, and the production of autoantibodies against thyroglobulin (TG) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) [3]. In addition to genetic factors, multiple studies have demonstrated that environmental trigger have been involved in the genesis of HT. E vital role of gut microbiota in immunity and metabolism has been well demonstrated [12]. Numerous studies have shed light on the crucial role of gut microbiota on multiple metabolic and autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, lupus, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and so on [13, 14]. There are several studies that explore the relationship between gut microbiota and HT, the composition of gut microbiota in HT with different thyroid function status has been less studied. erefore, we focused on the alteration in gut microbial composition in patients having HT with euthyroidism and hypothyroidism
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