{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T20:32:02Z","timestamp":1789677122110,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,7]],"date-time":"2025-09-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757203200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan","award":["AP19675503"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AP19675503"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis (HT) and alopecia areata (AA) are organ-specific autoimmune diseases that frequently co-occur, suggesting shared immunological and microbial pathways. The gut microbiome has emerged as a key modulator of immune function, yet disease-specific microbial signatures remain poorly defined. Fecal samples from 51 participants (HT: n = 16, AA: n = 17, healthy controls: n = 18) aged 18\u201365 years were analyzed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing followed by multivariate statistical analyses. While alpha and beta diversity did not differ significantly across groups, taxonomic profiling revealed disease-specific microbial patterns. Bacteroides fragilis was significantly enriched in HT, suggesting a potential role in immune modulation; although mechanisms such as polysaccharide A production and molecular mimicry have been proposed in previous studies, their involvement in HT remains to be confirmed. Microbacterium sp. T32 was elevated in both HT and AA, indicating its potential as a shared autoimmune marker. Functional analysis showed increased fermentation and amino acid biosynthesis in AA, contrasting with reduced metabolic activity and elevated carbohydrate biosynthesis in HT. HT and AA exhibit distinct gut microbial and metabolic signatures. Bacteroides fragilis and Microbacterium sp. T32 may serve as potential microbial correlates for autoimmune activity, offering new insights into disease pathogenesis and targets for microbiome-based interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26178724","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,10]],"date-time":"2025-09-10T10:27:12Z","timestamp":1757500032000},"page":"8724","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Bacteroides fragilis and Microbacterium as Microbial Signatures in Hashimoto\u2019s Thyroiditis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-5608-2469","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Artur","family":"Kovenskiy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiome, Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Block S1, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0747-7712","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nurlubek","family":"Katkenov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiome, Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Block S1, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-9503-2197","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aigul","family":"Ramazanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatovenereology and Dermatocosmetology, NJSC \u201cAstana Medical University\u201c, 50\/2 Republic Ave., Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-1845-2726","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elizaveta","family":"Vinogradova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiome, Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Block S1, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Sports Research, Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave., Sirius Federal Territory, Sochi 354340, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zharkyn","family":"Jarmukhanov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiome, Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Block S1, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhussipbek","family":"Mukhatayev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiome, Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Block S1, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9479-0899","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Almagul","family":"Kushugulova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiome, Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Block S1, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autrev.2014.01.007","article-title":"Hashimoto thyroiditis: Clinical and diagnostic criteria","volume":"13","author":"Caturegli","year":"2014","journal-title":"Autoimmun. 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