Clinical Implications of the Gut-Lung Axis

Presentation Description / Summary: Interactions between the microbiota at different sites and the immune system are important in health and disease. Disruptions in microbial composition and function at individual sites, known as dysbiosis, are associated with many disease processes in veterinary medicine. Dysbiosis can also impact many microbial ecosystems on the host, including the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. The lung, which has been thought of as a sterile organ, has been shown to harbor a complex microbial population that can be altered in disease states. Given that the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract are both integral parts of the mucosal immune system, it is not surprising that there is also a link between the microbiota in each of these sites. During this session participants will be introduced to the gut-lung axis and review veterinary clinical implications for disruptions in this axis.

Learner Outcomes: 1. Define dysbiosis and it impacts on host health, specifically immune dysfunction. 2. Understand the relationship between the GI and respiratory tract microbiota, also known as the gut-lung axis. 3. Explain the veterinary clinical implications of alterations to the gut-lung axis.