The effects of the microbiota on the host immune system

Abstract

The human gastrointestinal track harbors hundreds of species of commensal organisms, collectively known as microbiota. The composition of the intestinal microbiota is changeable by various factors, such as host genotype, diet, antibiotics, pathogen infections, among others. Changes in these factors can cause microbiome disruption known as dysbiosis, leading to the outgrowth of potential pathogenic bacteria or decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria. Dysbiosis has been implicated in numerous inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. This review is focused on host-microbiota interactions, specifically on influence of bacterial-derived signals on immune cell function and the mechanisms by which these signals modulate the development and progression of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Keywords: Autoimmune disease; dysbiosis; immune system; inflammatory disease; microbiota.