The Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease

Question 1

What’s dysbiosis?

Answer 1

Microbial imbalance/maladaptation

Inside body it refers to an impaired microbiota

Question 2

Is dysbiosis of the gut microbiota caused by or causes disease?

Answer 2

Can cause illness if it means you can’t process your diet or if you get an infection

It can also be the result of an illness, antibiotics and diet changes.

So it may be associated with diseases but this not always mean they cause the disease

Question 3

What is probiotic?

Answer 3

micro-organisms that can be given to patients to give a health benefit

Question 4

What is prebiotic?

Answer 4

Fermented food that results in specific changes in the GI microbiota - to give a health benefit

In other words - food to make sure a specific bacteria you want grows more

Question 5

Why would the effect of probiotics vary by patient?

Answer 5

The pations own gut microbiota and genotype affects how the probiotics will grow and the effect they’ll have

Question 6

When would prebiotics be useful?

Answer 6

When you need to stimulate growth in certain commensal/beneficial bacteria

Question 7

How does Faecal microbiota transplantation treat a C.diff infection

Answer 7

Transplant done by:

• enema
• colonoscopy
• capsules
• naso-enteric tube

Repopulates colon, displaces C. Diff, prevets reinfection

Question 8

Why are antibiotics not a good solution for GI infections?

Answer 8

They kill many commensal bacteria that may be important for health, as well as pathogens