The Role of Microbiota in Human Health and Disease

The majority of epithelial surfaces of our body such as the skin and mucosa as well as our digestive tract are colonized by a vast number of microorganisms. The microbiota comprises bacteria archaea fungi protozoans and viruses. The microbiota mainly intestinal microbiota influence in human health and disease. They are helpful in physiologic activities such as digestion metabolism synthesis of vitamins. Their metabolic products stimulate the production of cytokines against potential pathogens. Several factors influence this population. These factors such as diet age diseases lifestyle drugs etc. may alter the composition of gut microbiota. Alteration of gut microbiota composition called dysbiosis may be involved in development of metabolic diseases (metabolic syndrome type 2 diabetes obesity) autoimmunological diseases (type 1 diabetes mellitus Hashimoto’s thyroidis Graves’ disease) disturbances in nervous system (multiple sclerosis Alzheimer’s disease Parkinson’s disease depression). Dysbiosis in gut microbiota may cause also different cancers. Therefore our health and disease is strong dependent on homeostasis of microbiota composition.