The imbalance of gut microbiota and its correlation with plasma inflammatory cytokines in pemphigus vulgaris patients

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of IgG autoantibodies owing to an imbalance in the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Tregs cell pathways. The role of gut microbiota in the development of immune system and autoimmune diseases has been unraveled in the last two decades. However, data pertaining to gut microbiota of PV patients is largely lacking. We aimed to compare the gut microbiota of PV patients and healthy controls and assessed potential correlation with circulating cytokines of Th1/Th2/Th17 cell. Faecal bacterial diversity was analysed in 18 PV patients and 14 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals using hypervariable tag sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Plasma levels of 20 inflammatory cytokines were assessed using the Luminex screening system. As a result, we identified 10 differentially abundant taxa between patients and controls. At the genera level, Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis and Coprococcus decreased, while Granulicatella, Flavonifractor enriched in PV. Plasma levels of C5a, interleukin (IL)-2R, IL-6, IL-8, IL-7, IL-1 beta, IL17A, IL-5 and IL-21 were significantly increased in PV Flavonifractor exhibited a positive correlation with C5a, IL-6, IL-8, IL-7, IL-1 beta, IL17A and IL-21. Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis and Coprococcus showed a negative correlation with IL-17A. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that PV patients have gut microbial dysbiosis which might contribute to the immune disorder and the development of PV.