#AI Reads Urine# Urinary microbiome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus Nephritis

“Urinary microbiome profiling as a non-invasive tool for identifying biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis” was written by Bo Shi, Fei Chen, Jianmin Gong, Adeel Khan, Xiang Qian, Zhipeng Xu and Ping Yang. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1364333

The study aimed to characterize the urinary microbiome of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients and investigate its correlations with clinical parameters.

SLE is an autoimmune disease with a wide range of manifestations, and LN is a serious complication. Current diagnosis methods have limitations, and novel non-invasive biomarkers are needed. The urinary microbiome has been studied in other conditions but not in SLE.

20 SLE patients with LN, 22 without LN, and 23 healthy controls were recruited. Morning urine samples were collected, centrifuged, and DNA was extracted and sequenced. Sequencing data was analyzed for taxonomic classification and diversity. Diagnostic models were developed and correlations with clinical parameters were analyzed.

The Shannon and Simpson indices showed a significant decrease in bacterial community diversity in SLE patients with LN compared to those without LN or healthy controls. 8 distinct taxa were identified as potential markers. A diagnostic model was developed with a high Area Under the Curve (AUC). Certain bacterial taxa were correlated with clinical parameters such as vitamin D, proteinuria, and Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (ACR). Functional predictions indicated that the urinary microbiome may influence immune regulation.

SLE patients with and without LN had significant variations in their urinary bacterial profiles compared to healthy controls. The study provides new insights into the role of the urinary microbiome in SLE and LN, but has limitations such as a small sample size and the need for further exploration of microbiota-modulating therapies. Future studies should use longitudinal designs and metagenomic analyses.

Youhe Gao

Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used Doubao / AI reading for summarizing the content. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.