Abstract: Natalizumab a monoclonal antibody is associated with the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), an infection caused by the John Cunningham (JC) virus. The inventors explored the hypothesis that bacteria should be involved in the onset of PML in connection to the HLA-DR haplotype in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Thus 625 MS patients starting Natalizumab therapy from the BIONAT study were followed prospectively. Among those patients, 12 developed a PML. Outside the BIONAT cohort, we included nine additional MS patients with PML who had been referred to our center. For each patient, blood metagenomics sequencing and sequencing-based typing for HLA-DRB1*15:01 ancestral haplotype were determined. HLA-DRB1*15:01 haplotype carriers show a protection against PML (p=0.03). Among blood taxa, at genus level, Phyllobacterium was only significantly associated in HLA-DRB1*15:01 haplotype carriers with an inflammatory marker (p<0.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing and/or treating heart failure in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of polydextrose. The method may also include the use of polydextrose for preventing cardiac remodeling and/or ventricle dilatation and/or for preventing systolic dysfunction, as well as preventing an increase in bacterial translocation to heart tissue in a subject who suffered from a myocardial infarction.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing and/or treating heart failure in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of polydextrose. The method may also include the use of polydextrose for preventing cardiac remodeling and/or ventricle dilatation and/or for preventing systolic dysfunction, as well as preventing an increase in bacterial translocation to heart tissue in a subject who suffered from a myocardial infarction.

Abstract: The present invention concerns polydextrose for use for preventing and/or treating heart failure in a subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method, for predicting a risk of onset of type 2 diabetes in a subject, which method comprises the steps of: a) measuring the concentration of bacterial 16S rDNA in a biological sample of said subject; and b) comparing said measured concentration of bacterial 16S rDNA to a threshold level; wherein a measured concentration of bacterial 16S rDNA higher than the threshold level is indicative of an increased risk of onset of type 2 diabetes in the subject, and a measured concentration of bacterial 16S rDNA lower than the threshold level is indicative of a decreased risk of onset of type 2 diabetes in the subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, in particular an in vitro method, for predicting a risk of onset of abdominal obesity in a subject, which method comprises the steps of: a1) measuring the concentration of bacterial 16S rDNA in a biological sample of said subject; and b) based on the result of the measurement in step a1), determining a risk of onset of abdominal obesity in the subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of the bacterial flora for vaccine development, identification of therapeutic targets and prediction and/or diagnosis of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, overweight and obesity, and their cardiovascular complications. In particular, the present invention provides immunogenic or vaccinal composition for preventing metabolic diseases and cardiovascular complications using attenuated or inactivated bacterial flora, or antigens derived thereof. The present invention also provides methods for identifying prognostic markers for metabolic diseases onset and cardiovascular complications and methods for in vitro prognosis of metabolic diseases and cardiovascular complications using bacterial flora.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for predicting and/or diagnosing a cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease in a subject, which method comprises determining the concentration of bacterial DNA in a biological sample of said subject, together with degenerated primers for predicting and/or diagnosing a cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease in a subject.