Gastric microbiome in horses with and without equine glandular gastric disease.
Authors: Paul Linda J, Ericsson Aaron C, Andrews Frank M, Keowen Michael L, Morales Yniguez Francisco, Garza Frank, Banse Heidi E
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Gastric Microbiome in Equine Glandular Gastric Disease The microbial ecosystem of the equine stomach may play a role in glandular gastric disease (EGGD) development or progression, yet this relationship has remained largely unexplored. Researchers used gastroscopy to collect gastric fluid and mucosal biopsies from 24 horses stratified by EGGD severity (scores 0–3), then applied 16S rRNA sequencing to characterise bacterial community composition in both sample types across disease severity groups and endoscopic lesion types. Microbial community structure of the glandular mucosa showed statistically significant differences according to EGGD score (P = 0.009), with principal coordinate analysis revealing distinct clustering between healthy horses (EGGD 0) and those with moderate-to-severe disease (EGGD ≥2), though the magnitude of these differences was modest. These findings suggest that compositional changes in the gastric mucosal microbiome are associated with EGGD, potentially indicating either a mechanistic role in disease pathogenesis or an ecological response to the inflammatory environment created by ulceration. For practitioners managing EGGD cases, these results hint at a microbiome dimension to gastric health that warrants further investigation, particularly regarding whether targeted microbial interventions might complement conventional gastric acid and healing management strategies.
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Practical Takeaways
- •The gastric microbiome differs between horses with and without EGGD, suggesting the microbiota may play a role in disease development or persistence
- •These findings open potential avenues for microbiome-based diagnostic or therapeutic interventions for EGGD management
- •Further research is needed to determine whether microbiome modulation could prevent or treat EGGD in clinical practice
Key Findings
- •Microbial community structure of glandular mucosal biopsies differed significantly among EGGD score groups (Jaccard similarity index; P = 0.009)
- •Principal coordinate analysis revealed separate clusters for horses with EGGD score 0 and EGGD score ≥2
- •A modest but detectable difference was found in the glandular mucosal microbiome composition associated with increasing EGGD severity scores