P173 Characterization of the gut microbiota and the colonic immune response in acute severe ulcerative colitis : the multi-omics ITAC project
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Abstract Background Limited understanding exists regarding the pathogenesis of acute severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Microorganisms are proposed as potential triggers due to the resemblances to infectious colitis and the essential role played by gut microbiota in UC-related inflammation. Our aim was to identify microbiome elements and host factors associated with acute severe UC. Methods This was a prospective study across three referral centers comparing two UC patient groups: acute severe hospitalized UC (as per Truelove and Witts criteria) and non-severe UC. We analyzed gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and conducted single-cell RNA-Seq on rectal biopsies in a subgroup of patients to uncover cellular subtypes and pathways involved in mucosal inflammation. We utilized whole blood RNA-Seq to investigate the host pathways involved in mediating systemic inflammation. Results Forty-one patients (23 (56%) female, median (interquartile range IQR) age 42 (34 – 57) years were included: 19 with acute severe UC and 22 with non-severe UC. Compared to patients with non-severe UC, those with acute severe UC displayed distinct gut microbiota with reduced diversity, increased Proteobacteria (Escherichia/Shigella genus), and decreased Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. In severe cases (n=4 - 13,047 cells), single-cell RNA-Seq analysis of rectal biopsies revealed distinctive patterns compared to non-severe cases (n=5 - 18,433 cells): plasmablasts showed an altered transcriptomic profile with heightened IgG expression, and there was an expanded cluster of interleukin (IL) 26 expressing T cell population. Innate immune cells exhibited a pro-inflammatory profile marked by increased expression of the IL1B gene. In blood samples, we observed no distinct differentiation of transcriptomic profiles between severe and non-severe cases. Conclusion Our multi-omics study reveals key cellular and bacterial components in acute severe UC pathogenesis. We identified Proteobacteria, especially Escherichia coli as a potential pathobiont in acute severe UC. At the colonic level, we observed an increased IgG/IgA ratio, while both T cells and innate immune cells indicated a pro-Th17 mucosal environment. Enhanced systemic inflammation in acute severe UC was not reflected by specific changes in immune circulating cells. These insights may pave the way for future research focusing on microbiome modulation, interventions targeting plasmablasts, or nuanced inhibition of the Th17/IL-23 axis in acute severe UC.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.002 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.002 | 0.003 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.002 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.002 | 0.001 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".