MIcrobiome in Health and Disease - Dr Horton

Immune System is the Bouncer
- We know that there are bad microbes and good microbes.
- It is now believed that the healthy Immune System acts much like a Bouncer at a Bar... allowing the good microbes in and keeping the bad microbes out.

Illnesses associated with alterations in indigenous microbes
- When "Bouncers go bad," illness like Obesity, IBD, Cdiff, asthma, or MRSA occur

- Obesity 
     - Giving antibx to animals make them gain weight 
     - Obese people have less bacteroides
     - Markedly different gut flora in obese and skinny people

- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
     - Increased correlation with antibiotic use - unclear causation

- MRSA 
     - Changes in microbiota related to MRSA status 
     - Fecal transplants for recurrent C. difficile 
            - Stool administered via NG tubes have a high success rate

*Theoretically antibiotics in the last 70 yrs have altered normal human microbes*

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