The dormant blood microbiome in common neurological disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A preliminary investigation of the dormant blood microbiome in common neurological disorders
IRAS ID
192342
Contact name
Hedley Emsley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
The role of infection in certain neurological disorders, including stroke (Emsley & Hopkins, 2008), is well established, but there is a growing literature suggesting that there may be a (mainly dormant) microbial component in a variety of chronic diseases that are normally considered to be non-microbial or non-communicable in nature, even when microbes appear absent by culturability criteria (Potgieter et al., 2015). The origin of detectable but non-proliferating microbes appears to be mainly through the gut microbiome. Neurological diseases potentially associated with gut dysbiosis include multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. This preliminary investigation will employ quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the detection of microbes in peripheral blood in individuals with no overt evidence of infection.
We will recruit 60 participants in three groups (20 participants per group), from among patients attending neurology clinics at the Royal Preston Hospital:
(1) Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease – as an example of a condition in which there is recent evidence of microscopically detectable and potentially dormant bacteria (Kell et al., 2015)
(2) Multiple sclerosis – as an example of an inflammatory disorder showing ‘flares’ (ie relapses) for which the triggers remain unclear, where there is merit in investigating the possibility of any differences in the ‘blood microbiome’
(3) Migraine – as an example of a condition where there is relatively less evidence of any relevance of a microbial component
Clinical data will be recorded using a standardised proforma, with a single blood sample being drawn. Whole blood will be collected into blood tubes and posted in biological sample mailing packs to the laboratory in Manchester for analysis.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0229
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion