Alterations of gut microbiota and metabolites in children with Crohn’s disease and their correlation with disease activity

The microbial diversity of children with newly diagnosed CD decreased, but then ameliorated in the remission stage. Some short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria, lipid metabolites, and energy homeostasis products were associated with clinical indexes. In particular, citric acid demonstrated specific effectiveness in identify clinical activity of pediatric CD patients, which was a potential biomarker. Further exploring the mechanism of energy homeostasis in CD is beneficial to find new therapeutic targets.