The intestinal microbiota develops as a results of various genetic, nutritional
and environmental factors, becoming very specific for each individual. It totalizes more
than 100 trillions of bacteria with a piece of genetic information more than 100x
greater than the human genome. The functions of the microbiota can be grouped into
metabolic, protective and structural. The microbiota-derived metabolites signal to
distant organs of the host, which enable the microbiota to connect to the brain, the
immune and endocrine system, metabolism and other functions of the host. These
microbiota-host communications are essential to maintain the vital functions and health
of our organism. So, microbiota, in eubiosis and especially in dysbiosis, has multiple
effects on the human organism. The therapeutic possibilities for this are the
administration of nonabsorbable antibiotics, pre-, pro, syn- or symbiotics, as well as
FMT, which is in principle a complex human probiotic.
The most important digestive effects of microbiota are in Clostridium difficiledetermined pseudomembranous colitis, in IBS, IBD, diverticulitis, functional
dyspepsia, and in different digestive cancers: gastric, colorectal, liver and pancreatic
cancer. Alcoholic liver disease is also influenced by microbiota.
The extra-digestive effects of microbiota are very complex. In some metabolic
diseases, like obesity, NAFLD, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemias and T2D, special types
of dysbiosis have important pathophysiologic implications. Microbiota has also
implications in Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, CKD, different psychiatric disorders
and some extra-digestive cancers.
In conclusion, it may be stated that the intestinal microbiota has multiple effects, even
in diseases that apparently have no relation with the intestinal flora.
Keywords: Autoimmune diseases, Cancer, Digestive diseases, Intestinal microbiota, Metabolic diseases, Microbiome.
