Characterization of the intestinal microbiome in patients with different forms of epilepsy and autoimmune encephalitis by metagenomic analysis

Abstract

Over time, man and microorganisms have co-evolved simultaneously to integrate a complex ecosystem. After birth, the human microbiota is primarily composed of non-pathogenic microorganisms that colonize various organs and systems such as skin, mouth, respiratory, gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. The microbiota varies according to factors such as age, gender, diet and disease states. The intestine is considered the largest reservoir of these microorganisms, and the colon reaches the maximum density of germs. Studies have shown that the enteric microbiota may play a vital role not only in proper digestion of food and maintenance of homeostasis, but also in the progression of diseases mediated by autoimmune mechanisms. Especially in diseases that affect the brain this is done through the microbiota-bowel-brain axis that has received increasing attention in recent years. In this context, the present work will apply next-generation sequencing techniques of fecal samples with the objective of characterizing the intestinal microbiome composition of ninety patients divided into three groups, thirty patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, thirty patients with generalized genetic epilepsies and thirty patients with autoimmune encephalitis; as well as in thirty control subjects. Individuals with any inflammatory bowel disease or any factor that may interfere with the composition of the intestinal flora will be excluded. The results obtained will allow, for the first time, the detailed characterization of the intestinal microbiome in these patients. In addition, it will be possible to verify if there is a relationship between dysbiosis and clinical characteristics of the diseases studied, such as resistance to clinical treatment and severity. With our results we will be able to verify the possibility of using new treatment strategies such as fecal microbiota transplantation or the use of probiotics and biocatalysts.Key words: microbiota, microbiome, metagenomics.