Antibiotics in the pathogenesis of diabetes and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic literature without systematic search methodology
PubMed 36258032 · doi:10.1038/s41575-022-00685-9
What was done
The authors conducted a review synthesizing epidemiological studies, mechanistic pathways, and clinical trial evidence on the association between antibiotic exposure and the onset and development of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), coeliac disease, and eosinophilic oesophagitis.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. It reports that antibiotic exposures—varying by timing, type, and dosage—correlate with differences in disease risk, with a critical developmental window in early life where microbiome disruption appears to have a substantial effect on subsequent disease development.
Why it matters
Synthesizing links between antibiotic-driven microbiome disruption and chronic immune-mediated disorders helps identify potential environmental risk factors and emphasizes the importance of early-life antibiotic stewardship.
Limits
The abstract contains no quantitative metrics, meta-analytic data, or systematic search methodology. As a narrative review largely drawing on observational associations and mechanistic models, it cannot establish direct causality or account for confounding by indication.
Cited by
- supports Early-life microbiome disruption or depletion increases susceptibility to developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) later in life.