Viral dysbiosis in children with new-onset celiac disease

PLoS One. 2022 Jan 14;17(1):e0262108. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262108. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Viruses are common components of the intestinal microbiome, modulating host bacterial metabolism and interacting with the immune system, with a possible role in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases such as celiac disease (CeD). The objective of this study was to characterize the virome profile in children with new-onset CeD. We used metagenomic analysis of viral DNA in mucosal and fecal samples from children with CeD and controls and performed sequencing using the Nextera XT library preparation kit. Abundance log2 fold changes were calculated using differential expression and linear discriminant effect size. Shannon alpha and Bray-Curtis beta diversity were determined. A total of 40 children with CeD and 39 controls were included. We found viral dysbiosis in both fecal and mucosal samples. Examples of significantly more abundant species in fecal samples of children with CeD included Human polyomavirus 2, Enterobacteria phage mEpX1, and Enterobacteria phage mEpX2; whereas less abundant species included Lactococcus phages ul36 and Streptococcus phage Abc2. In mucosal samples however, no species were significantly associated with CeD. Shannon alpha diversity was not significantly different between CeD and non-CeD groups and Bray-Curtis beta diversity showed no significant separation between CeD and non-CeD samples in either mucosal or stool samples, whereas separation was clear in all samples. We identified significant viral dysbiosis in children with CeD, suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of CeD indicating the need for further studies.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age of Onset
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Celiac Disease / virology*
  • Child
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Dysbiosis / diagnosis*
  • Dysbiosis / virology
  • Feces / virology
  • Female
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Metagenomics / methods*
  • Mucous Membrane / virology
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*
  • Viruses / classification*
  • Viruses / genetics
  • Viruses / isolation & purification

Substances

  • DNA, Viral

Grants and funding

The authors extend their appreciations to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this work through Research Group No (RGP-1441-007).