Table 2.

Microbiota characterization in symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD).

Authors (Years) [Reference]	Study Design	Overall Study Population	Sampling Methods	Detection Methods	Microbiome Association with Diverticular Disease	Treatment	Main Findings
Ponziani (2016)	Case-control	20 consecutive patients (4 SUDD, 4 IBS, 4 CD, 4 UC, 4 HE)	Stool	16S rRNA	Roseburia and Colinsella	Rifaximin	Significant increase in Roseburia and Colinsella (which decreased after rifaximin treatment) in SUDD). Significant reduction in Lactobacilli (which increased after rifaximin treatment) in SUDD.
Tursi (2016)	Case-control	44 consecutive patients (only women: 15 SUDD, 13 diverticulosis, 16 controls)	Stool	Real-time PCR	A. muciniphila	None	Significant increase in Akkermansia in SUDD compared with controls.
Barbara (2017)	Case-control	38 consecutive patients (8 SUDD, 14 diverticulosis, 16 controls)	Mucosal sampling during colonoscopy	16S rRNA	Clostridium Cluster IX, Fusobacterium, and Lactobacillaceae	None	Significant decrease in Clostridium Cluster IX, Fusobacterium, and Lactobacillaceae in SUDD; A. muciniphila reduced in the diverticular district compared with the colonic district without diverticula.
Lopetuso (2018)	Case-Control	28 consecutive patients (4 SUDD, 3 IBS, 10 CD, 8 UC, 8 controls)	Stool	16S rRNA	Bacteroides fragilis, Colinsella, and Riminococcaceae	None	Ruminococcaceae increased in SUDD, with depletion of Colinsella and Bacterioidetes fragilis.
Linninge (2018)	Case-control	51 consecutive patients (16 SUDD and 24 controls)	Mucosal sampling during colonoscopy	PCR-based profiling	Enterobacteriaceae	None	Increased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in SUDD compared with controls.
Kvasnovsky (2018)	Cohort	30 consecutive SUDD patients (15 PD-SUDD and 15 NPD-SUDD)	Stool	16S rRNA	Pseudobutyrivibrio Bifidobacterium, Christensenellaceae, Mollicutes RF9, Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, and Ruminococcus	None	Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, and Ruminococcus increased in all SUDD patients. -Cyanobacterium was associated with pain score. -Pseudobutyrivibrio Bifidobacterium, Christensenellaceae, and Mollicutes RF9 increased in PD-SUDD vs. NPD-SUDD.
Laghi (2018)	Cohort	13 consecutive SUDD patients (15 PD-SUDD and 15 NPD-SUDD)	Stool	Real-time PCR	Akkermansia muciniphila	Probiotic mixture, rifaximin, mesalazine, fibers	Significant decrease in Akkermansia under treatment, parallel with symptom improvement. -Increase in Akkermansia during pharmacological washout, parallel with symptom recurrence.
Ponziani (2020)	Case-control	25 consecutive patients (7 SUDD, 8 IBS, 5 CD, 5 UC)	Stool	16S rRNA	Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, and Roseburia	Rifaximin	Significant increase in Fecalibacterium and a significant decrease in Roseburia and Ruminococcus in patients responding to rifaximin.
Tursi (2022)	Case-control	44 consecutive patients (only women: 15 SUDD, 13 diverticulosis, 16 controls)	Stool	Real-time PCR	F. prausnitzii	None	Slight increase (not significant) in F. prausnitzii in SUDD compared with controls.

Abbreviations: SUDD, symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease; PD-SUDD, post diverticulitis symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease; NPD-SUDD, non-post diverticulitis symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease; HE, hepatic encephalopathy; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; CD, Crohn’s disease; UC, ulcerative colitis.