August 2021

National Institutes of Health • Department of Health and Human Services • newsinhealth.nih.gov

Inside News: 3 Fingernails and Health 4 COVID-19 Vaccine and Variants 4 Heart Inflammation 4 ClinicalTrials.gov Your Body’s Bugs Nurturing Healthy Microbes Microscopic bugs called mi- eczema. They found that it crobes can be found in your improved symptoms, includ- eyes, mouth, gut, skin, and ing itching and rashes. everywhere else. But don’t Your gut hosts lots of mi- be alarmed. Most of your mi- crobes. These can be thrown crobes are useful. They help out of balance by many you digest food. They prevent things, including antibiotics dangerous infections in your and diet. That can make room organs. And so much more. for harmful ones to grow. They’re vital for your health. One especially dangerous This collection of microbes microbe is a type of in your body includes bacte- bacteria that can grow ria, fungi, and viruses. To- in the intestines called gether, it’s called the human Clostridioides difficile. C. microbiome. difficile can cause fatal “The microbiome is just diarrhea, especially in older as important as the brain, adults. It’s often resistant to liver, kidney, or heart,” says treatment. Dr. Eugene Chang, who Researchers have developed studies gut microbes at the Restoring Balance • One of the big a type of treatment for C. difficile in- University of Chicago. jobs for our helpful microbes is to fection called fecal microbial trans- Scientists have cataloged the take up space. They live in places plant. A patient is given microbes types of microbes that live in the in the body that might otherwise from the large intestine of a healthy human body. They’ve found that be filled by harmful microbes that person. This is done by transferring changes in your body’s bugs are can cause disease, says Dr. Yasmine stool (poop) via tubes or pills. linked with many health problems. Belkaid, an immune system expert Researchers don’t yet know These include diabetes, obesity, at NIH. “This is one way your micro- exactly which of the microbes are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), biome prevents infection,” she says. needed for a healthy gut microbiome. and cancer. They can also cause skin Your immune system normally So for now, they transfer the entire disorders and tooth decay. attacks microbes that get into the microbiome. Certain things can harm the body. But people grow up with their “Fecal transplants are a full-spec- helpful microbes in your body. microbiome, Belkaid says. Many trum treatment. We’re just trying to These include using antibiotics microbes are acquired from your change things wholesale,” says Dr. inappropriately or eating an mother at birth. So your immune Gary Wu, a gut-health expert at the unhealthy diet. Now, studies are system recognizes them as friendly University of Pennsylvania. starting to uncover ways to use and doesn’t attack them. microbes to improve your health. If these helpful microbes aren’t continued on page 2 thriving, harmful ones can move in. But studies have shown that helpful microbes can be restored. Definitions For example, people with a skin @ condition called eczema often have Subscribe Immune System changes in their skin microbes. NIH The body’s defense against germs and newsinhealth.nih.gov microscopic threats. researchers tested spraying a type of bacteria onto the skin of people with 2 newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/08 continued from page 1 Microbes and Obesity • Microbes include foods high in carbohydrates, Wu is part of a nationwide team in the gut do much more than just rich in sugar, or with too many that’s tracking the use of fecal trans- take up space, says Chang. “Gut artificial components,” she explains. plants for C. difficile. In a nationwide microbes help regulate our metabo- “These can enrich for microbes that study, they found that about nine lism—the digestion, absorption, and are bad for your health.” out of 10 people who received fecal use of nutrients,” he explains. “The microbiome is an extraor- transplants were cured of C. difficile. His research team and others dinary ally. It’s a healthy partner in “It works marvelously well for treat- study proteins that gut bacteria helping the body function,” Belkaid ing this infection,” Wu says. release into the bloodstream. “These says. See the Wise Choices box for The team continues to track peo- tell us how much we eat, when to eat, other tips to help keep this partner ple who have had fecal transplants. and what to eat,” he says. healthy. n They want to learn more about its This communication between our long-term safety. cells and our microbes seems to play Researchers are also testing this a role in obesity. Chang and others Wise Choices treatment for other conditions. have shown this in mice. They trans- Protect Your Body’s These include IBD and other condi- planted gut microbes from mice fed Microbes tions that cause gut inflammation. a high-fat diet into lean mice without Wu says scientists are working on any microbes. The lean mice then l Take antibiotics exactly as pre- more targeted treatments to repair processed dietary fat differently and scribed. Antibiotics are life-saving or replace a damaged gut microbi- gained weight. medicines. But they can also ome. Different collections of mi- It’s not yet understood exactly how disrupt the healthy balance of crobes grown in the lab may eventu- microbes help control metabolism. microbes in your body. ally be tailored to treat different gut “But if we figure out how, that could l Eat a diet high in fiber. Fiber is diseases. “That’s going to be the next be a game changer in preventing found in plants, including fruits, generation of treatments,” he says. diet-induced obesity,” Chang says. vegetables, and whole grains. l Limit foods that can hurt your Keep Your Microbes Healthy • gut microbes. These include Researchers have started testing Definitions sugar and fatty or highly whether altering microbes can im- processed foods. pact other areas of health. Inflammation l Wash your hands when Heat, swelling, and redness caused by the Belkaid and her team found that changing the gut microbiome may preparing food, before eating, or body’s protective response to injury or after handling pets or garbage. infection. improve how well a certain cancer treatment works. They’re also doing Learn more at www.cdc.gov/ studies in mice to see if changing handwashing. NIH News in Health a female’s microbiome during l Use hand sanitizer when you ISSN 2375-6993 (Print) ISSN 1556-3898 (Online) pregnancy can boost her offspring’s can’t use soap and water. Be sure Editor Harrison Wein, Ph.D. immune system. it contains at least 60% alcohol. Managing Editor Tianna Hicklin, Ph.D. For now, what can you do daily to But washing with soap and water Graphics Alan Defibaugh (illustrations), keep your helpful microbes healthy? cleans more effectively. Bryan Ewsichek (design) “Diet is the major driver that shapes l Avoid antibacterial soaps and Contributors Erin Bryant and Sharon Reynolds a person’s microbiome,” Chang says. other products. These have little Use our articles and illustrations in your own Fortunately, your microbes respond or no health benefit. But they can publication. Our material is not copyrighted. quickly to changes in diet. harm the protective microbes on Please acknowledge NIH News in Health as the source and send us a copy. The dietary fiber found in plants your skin. is especially good for your gut bugs, l Be wary of “probiotics.” These says Belkaid. “One of the best things products can be food or supple- newsinhealth.nih.gov we can do for our microbes is to eat ments. They may claim to restore a healthy and diverse diet, and make a healthy microbe mix, but many sure it’s rich in fiber,” she explains. have not been properly studied. NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health® Some types of foods may harm our Learn more at go.usa.gov/x6szS. microbiome, Belkaid adds. “These Office of Communications & Public Liaison Building 31, Room 5B52 Bethesda, MD 20892-2094 For more about the microbiome, email: [email protected] Web see “Links” in the online article: phone: 301-451-8224 Links newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/08/your-bodys-bugs 3 newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/08 Funky Fingertips? What Nails Say About Your Health Clues about your health could be then pushed to the surface of right at your fingertips. Take a look the fingertip. Ito was the first to at your nails. They could give insight identify the stem cells in the about possible health concerns. nail matrix that cause nails to Many nail changes are normal grow. and nothing to worry about. But Certain things can affect sometimes changes in the way nail growth. A serious your nails look and grow can be a illness or fever can halt the sign of disease. Nails are actually process. The interruption can specialized skin cells. They’re made cause indentations that run of keratin, a protein also found in horizontally across nails. These your hair and skin. are called Beau’s lines. They can “Nails aren’t just for appearances,” also result from injury to the explains New York University’s Dr. nail, some vitamin deficiencies, Mayumi Ito, who studies how skin and chemotherapy. cells regenerate. Your nails protect Tiny pits in the nail can the ends of your fingers and toes. also be a sign of disease. It’s They also help you grip objects and common among people who pick off small things. It would be have psoriasis. Psoriasis is harder to turn the pages of a book or an autoimmune disease that pick up a thread without fingernails. causes red, scaly patches of The part of the nail you can see skin. Nail pitting is also linked to an Dark streaks running down is called the nail plate. Nails grow autoimmune condition that causes the length of the nail that appear from a region at the base of the nail hair loss, called alopecia areata. suddenly should be checked to rule under the skin called the nail matrix. If your nails start to scoop inward out skin cancer. Certain infections, Here, new nail cells are made and like a spoon, you may not be getting especially of the heart, can cause red packed together. Older nail cells are enough iron. Spoon-shaped nails, or streaks to appear under the nails. koilonychia, can be a sign of iron- Talk with your health care deficiency anemia. Because of a lack provider if your nails start to look of iron, your body can’t make enough abnormal. Your doctor may send you Wise Choices of the molecule that red blood cells to see a dermatologist. This type of Preventing Nail need to carry oxygen. doctor specializes in diseases that Problems Nail clubbing, where the nail tips affect the skin and nails. l Try not to bite, pick, or tear at enlarge and curve around the tip, For things you can do to keep your your nails. is another nail problem. It could be nails healthy, see the Wise Choices a harmless trait that runs in your Box. n l Clip hangnails. Be careful not to family. But it’s also linked to lung tear or remove cuticles, as that and heart problems. may lead to an infection. Changes in nail color are l Keep your fingernails dry and common. Yellow nails are often Definitions clean to prevent bacteria from caused by nail fungus. In some growing under nails. cases, they can point to something Autoimmune Disease l Moisturize your nails and cuticles more serious like lung disease. If A condition in which the body’s immune with hand lotion. you notice your nails have become system mistakenly attacks and destroys the mostly white, it may just be a sign body’s own cells. l Limit your use of harsh nail care of aging. But sometimes it’s due to products like nail polish remover. Stem Cells serious conditions like liver and Cells that have the potential to develop into l Ask your health care provider kidney disease or diabetes. many different cell types in the body. about medicines that can help with abnormal nails. If you have a nail infection, you may need Web For more about fingernails and health, antifungal or antibacterial drugs. see “Links” in the online article: Links newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/08/funky-fingertips 4 NIHnewsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/08 News in Health

For links to more information, please visit our website Health Capsules and see these stories online. Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Protects Against Variants Vaccines against COVID-19 were ferent cells and antibodies that can But other immune responses were developed early in the pandemic. fight the disease. The team looked at similar. But the virus has been changing. whether these provided protection “These data show that this vaccine Now there are different versions, against the original virus. They also has strong protection against many called variants, all over the world. looked for protection against the of the COVID-19 variants in the Researchers found that the single- alpha, beta, and gamma variants. world today,” says Dr. Dan Barouch shot COVID-19 vaccine still protects Overall, the vaccine offered strong from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical against new variants. protection against both the original Center. In the study, 20 volunteers re- virus and the variants. The team A follow-up study showed protec- ceived the Janssen/Johnson & John- found lower amounts of neutralizing tion against other variants, includ- son vaccine. Researchers took blood antibodies to the variants than to ing the delta variant. More research samples about two months later. the original virus. These are a type is still needed to better understand The samples were tested for dif- of antibody that can block infections. how the body fights off COVID-19. n

Understanding Heart Inflammation Inflammation is your body’s response Viral infections are a common function. The cause of the disease to infection or injury. Ongoing cause of myocarditis. Other will determine your treatment. inflammation can cause many infections can also cause the Mild cases of myocarditis might serious health problems. When it condition. These include bacteria, only require rest, close monitoring, affects your heart muscle, it’s called fungi, or parasites. and follow-ups with the doctor. More myocarditis. Myocarditis may also be a part severe cases may need medication. Myocarditis can affect small or of an autoimmune disease. This If you’re diagnosed with heart large sections of the heart muscle. Se- happens when your body’s disease inflammation, it’s important to vere cases may cause abnormal heart fighting system, called the immune follow your treatment plan and rhythms or make it harder for the system, mistakenly attacks and receive follow-up care. Talk to your heart to pump blood. That can lead to destroys your own cells. health care provider if you have any heart failure. Certain medications can also concerns about your heart health. Symptoms of myocarditis can put you at risk for myocarditis. A For more information, visit: www. include chest pain, fast or abnormal health care provider can diagnose nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart- heartbeat, shortness of breath, and the disease with a physical exam, inflammation. n swelling in your feet or legs. blood tests, and tests of your heart

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