Study: Gut Permeability Biomarker Linked with AD Symptom Relief
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Patients with AD showed significantly elevated markers of intestinal barrier dysfunction versus controls.
WMT led to statistically significant improvements in symptom severity scores.
Higher baseline D-lactate levels correlated with greater clinical benefit, suggesting biomarker potential.
New research suggests serum D-lactate levels may predict clinical response to washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), showing the role of intestinal barrier dysfunction in atopic dermatitis (AD).
Researchers for the prospective analysis compared serum biomarkers of intestinal permeability in 24 patients with AD and 23 healthy controls, then looked at WMT outcomes in a subset of AD patients (n = 14).
According to the data, AD patients showed higher levels of D-lactate, endotoxin, and diamine oxidase compared to controls (P < 0.01), suggestive of impaired gut barrier function. Patients experienced improvements across validated symptom measures, including SCORAD, EASI, and pruritus NRS scores (all P < 0.05). Elevated baseline D-lactate levels correlated with greater reductions in SCORAD (R = –0.738; P = 0.037) and NRS (R = –0.650; P = 0.012). Increases in Acidaminococcus and reductions in Ruminococcus gnavus group, Flavonifractor, and Norank_f_Oscillospiraceae gut microbiota were also observed.
“This study confirms significant intestinal barrier dysfunction in AD and demonstrates the potential clinical efficacy of WMT,” the authors wrote in the study, published in Frontiers in Allergy. “The strong, uncorrected correlations suggest that pre-treatment D-lactate level warrants further investigation as a candidate biomarker for predicting WMT response. The clinical benefits occurred alongside a restructuring of the gut microbiota.”
Source: Lao YD, et al. Frontiers in Allergy. 2025. Doi:10.3389/falgy.2025.1680658