P688 Association of Akkermansia muciniphila with a healthy gut microbiome

Abstract Background Comprehensive knowledge of the types and ratios of microbes present in the healthy gastrointestinal human gut is required before any study is attempted to alter the microbiome to treat one condition. Akkermansia muciniphila, a mucin-degrading bacterium, belonging to the phylum Verrucomicrobia, has been inversely associated with inflammation and diabetes whilst it has been internationally proposed as one of the contributors for maintaining a healthy gut and glucose homeostasis. Studies noted that higher amounts of this microorganism in the gut microbiota was linked to a metabolically healthier lifestyle; therefore, linking an interaction between the gut bacterial richness and abundance of A. muciniphila. This organism was noted to improve the gut barrier using its outer membrane protein Amuc 1100, which seems to interact with Toll-like receptor 2, whilst potentially adhering to intestinal epithelial cells, leading its role in balancing the human immunological homeostasis whilst strengthening the monolayer integrity of the wall. The aim of this study was to assess if there is any difference in the presence of Akkermansia muciniphila between IBD patients and controls. Methods Faecal microbiota from newly diagnosed treatment naïve IBD patients and controls were analysed via the bacterial 16s rRNA gene sequencing on illumine MiSeq. Results 100 patients with IBD and 97 controls were recruited. Forty-one different ASVs were identified from our cohort, all of which being differentially abundant between the different health conditions present. From these, 20 ASVs such as ASV-14 G-Alistipes uncl., and ASV 20-Akkermansia muciniphila, were found to be more abundant in healthy individuals than in IBD patients. There was no dietary association. Conclusion In this study Akkermansia muciniphila was significantly found in higher amount in the healthy control population than in the IBD cohort. The potential role of repopulating the gut bacteria with Akkermansia muciniphila needs to be investigated as to reduce the burden of disease, medications prescribed and the clinical outcome.