Azzouz D, et al. - Researchers studied the faecal microbiota of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for candidate pathobiont(s) and assessed them for special connections with host immunity to search for a transmissible agent involved in lupus pathogenesis. Matched blood and faecal samples from 61 female patients with SLE were obtained in a cross-sectional discovery cohort. The microbiome in SLE patients exhibited reduced species richness diversity compared to controls, with declines in taxonomic complexity most pronounced in those with high SLE disease activity index. These results indicate a novel paradigm in which particular gut commensal strains can add to lupus nephritis' immune pathogenesis.