Researchers explain how dandruff could be a factor in Crohn's disease

Researchers have found a fungus linked to dandruff could play a huge role in chronic stomach condition Crohn's disease. It can also worsen intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The risk is especially high for a patient who have a specific genetic make-up.

Several skin conditions are caused by Malassezia restricta yeasts, which is found in oily skin and scalp follicles. However, it can also make its way in the gut. Changes made to intestinal fungi like M. restricta could worsen the symptoms that are linked to the disease. This was found to be especially true for people who carry agenetic variation known as the IBD CARD9.

Crohn's disease is a type of IBD that causes ongoing inflammation of the digestive tract. Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition are some of the symptoms of the disease.

"We were surprised to find that Malassezia restrica was more common on intestinal tissue surfaces in Crohn's disease patients than in healthy people," study co-author David Underhill from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told a news portal. Adding,"Further, the presence of Malassezia was linked to a common variation in a gene known to be important for immunity to fungi - a genetic signature more common in patients with Crohn's disease than the healthy population."

The study's findings were originally published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.