Gut microbiome dysbiosis implicates the gut-bone axis in Modic changes: a metagenomic case-control study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Modic changes (MCs) are vertebral endplate lesions strongly associated with discogenic low back pain (LBP), though their pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Emerging evidence implicates gut microbial dysbiosis in systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal disorders, yet its potential role in MCs has not been investigated. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiome in patients with MCs and identify microbial and metabolic features linked to disease severity.

Methods

In a case-control study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on fecal samples from 31 patients with MCs (16 Type 1, 15 Type 2) and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Microbial community structure was assessed via alpha and beta diversity analyses. Differential taxa and pred

SUBMITTER: Lan B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12747672 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature