CHICAGO— Up to 45% of species in the gut microbiome show substantial diurnal, seasonal and regional variations at the population level, according to a global analysis presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023. Based on the substantial oscillations in species during these time frames, this analysis appears to reveal a meaningful new variable with which to understand the microbiome composition.
The population-based fluctuations “have large implications” for attempts to understand microbiome composition in the context of disease, according to senior author Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of California, San Diego. In addition to the effort to connect dysbiosis to the risk for specific diseases, these fluctuations might explain susceptibility to seasonal diseases, such as upper respiratory infections or allergies.