Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 28, 2024; 30(48): 5212-5220
Published online Dec 28, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i48.5212
Role of Candida species in pathogenesis, immune regulation, and prognostic tools for managing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
Supriti Patnaik, Siva Sundara Kumar Durairajan, Abhay Kumar Singh, Senthilkumar Krishnamoorthi, Ashok Iyaswamy, Shiva Prasad Mandavi, Rajesh Jeewon, Leonard L Williams
Supriti Patnaik, Siva Sundara Kumar Durairajan, Abhay Kumar Singh, Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur 610005, India
Siva Sundara Kumar Durairajan, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
Senthilkumar Krishnamoorthi, Ashok Iyaswamy, Mr. & Mrs Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Ashok Iyaswamy, Department of Biochemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641021, India
Shiva Prasad Mandavi, Department of Chemistry, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur 610005, India
Rajesh Jeewon, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Mauritius, Reduit 80837, Mauritius
Rajesh Jeewon, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Leonard L Williams, Center for Excellence in Post Harvest Technologies, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, The North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States
Author contributions: Patnaik S and Durairajan SSK drafted the manuscript; Singh AK, Krishnamoorthi S, Iwaswamy A, Madavi SP, Jeewon R and Williams LL reviewed the literature; Durairajn SSK conceived the idea and coordinated the manuscript; Patnaik S, Durairajan SSK and Williams LL approved the final version of the article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Siva Sundara Kumar Durairajan, PhD, Associate Professor, Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Tiruvarur 610005, India. d.sivasundarakumar@cutn.ac.in
Received: September 5, 2024
Revised: October 25, 2024
Accepted: November 13, 2024
Published online: December 28, 2024
Processing time: 85 Days and 2.5 Hours
Abstract

The gut microbiome plays a key role in the pathogenesis and disease activity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While research has focused on the bacterial microbiome, recent studies have shifted towards host genetics and host-fungal interactions. The mycobiota is a vital component of the gastrointestinal microbial community and plays a significant role in immune regulation. Among fungi, Candida species, particularly Candida albicans (C. albicans), have been extensively studied due to their dual role as gut commensals and invasive pathogens. Recent findings indicate that various strains of C. albicans exhibit considerable differences in virulence factors, impacting IBD's pathophysiology. Intestinal fungal dysbiosis and antifungal mucosal immunity may be associated to IBD, especially Crohn's disease (CD). This article discusses intestinal fungal dysbiosis and antifungal immunity in healthy individuals and CD patients. It discusses factors influencing the mycobiome's role in IBD pathogenesis and highlights significant contributions from the scientific community aimed at enhancing understanding of the mycobiome and encouraging further research and targeted intervention studies on specific fungal populations. Our article also provided insights into a recent study by Wu et al in the World Journal of Gastroenterology regarding the role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of CD.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; Ulcerative colitis; Crohn's disease; Gut mycobiome dysbiosis; Candida species; Immune regulation; Gut inflammation; Fecal mycobiota transplantation

Core Tip: This article investigated the relationship between Candida species and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), focusing on ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It examined how Candida affects IBD development, gut barrier function, immune response, and microbiota balance. The role of Candida-derived β-glucans in proinflammatory reactions and the potential use of Candida albicans as a disease marker were discussed. New treatment approaches, including antifungal and immunomodulatory strategies, were also covered. This review suggested that an altered number of Candida species can serve as biomarker for disease severity and treatment outcomes, leading to new diagnostic tools and personalized therapy for IBD.