title: Microbiota at the crossroads of autoimmunity.
abstract: Autoimmune diseases have a multifactorial etiology including genetic and environmental factors. Recently, there has been increased appreciation of the critical involvement of the microbiota in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, although in many cases, the cause and the consequence are not easy to distinguish. Here, we suggest that many of the known cues affecting the function of the immune system, such as genetics, gender, pregnancy and diet, which are consequently involved in autoimmunity, exert their effects by influencing, at least in part, the microbiota composition and activity. This, in turn, modulates the immune response in a way that increases the risk for autoimmunity in predisposed individuals. We further discuss current microbiota-based therapies.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Division, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, POB 12000 Kiryat Hadassah, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shamriz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Henrietta Szold 8, Safed 1311502, Israel.
authors.forename: Hila
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizrahi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Henrietta Szold 8, Safed 1311502, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Werbner
authors.affiliation: Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Henrietta Szold 8, Safed 1311502, Israel. Electronic address: Orly.Avni@biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Avni
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Henrietta Szold 8, Safed 1311502, Israel. Electronic address: Omry.Koren@biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Omry
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D004032:Diet; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans
keywords: 16S rRNA; Autoimmune disease; Autoimmunity; Bacteria; Dysbiosis; Inflammatory bowel disease; Metagenomics; Microbiome; Microbiota; Psoriasis; Rheumatoid arthritis