P55 Influence of dietary fibre and short-chain fatty acids on the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Background/Purpose In Westernized nations, the incidence of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases has dramatically risen over the past few decades. Environmental influences and their interplay with genetic risk factors have been suggested as important contributors to the rapid epidemic progress. Among environmental influences, Western diethigh in fat, sugar and salthas been postulated as important risk, while beneficial effects were described for dietary fibre and their bacterial fermentation products, short chain fatty acids (SCFA). In SLE, their impact remains largely unexplored and was addressed in this study. Methods Lupus prone NZB/WF1 mice were fed a low-(LFD) versus high-fibre diet (HFD) from the age of 3 weeks and over the course of the whole experiment. Determined were

Gut Microbiota and Immune System Interactions

“…Given the role of metabolites in autoimmune diseases, one proposed therapeutic strategy is to promote generation of SCFAs in the gut in order to impel the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T-cells into Treg cells, avoiding differentiation into Th1 and Th17 cells. One may support the growth and proliferation of SCFA-producing gut microbes by using appropriate types of dietary fiber [ 143 ], prebiotics such as fructo-oligosaccharides [ 144 , 145 ], or probiotics [ 146 ]. Oral delivery of SCFAs may be problematic as they are metabolized extensively in the upper portions of the intestinal tract [ 147 ].…”