Dysbiosis & RA

Oral Bacteria Driving ACPA and Rheumatoid Arthritis

The current JAMA has a perspective piece on the role of the oral microbiome in the pathogenesis and references a recent article by Konig et al on “Aggregatibacter…
rheumnow.com

P. Gingivalis Antibodies Antedate Rheumatoid Arthritis Onset

Periodontal disease, gingivitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis have been linked to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the production of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA).
rheumnow.com

It’s always been suspected that infection may be the trigger or driver of many autoimmune diseases that emerge in adulthood, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. However, proof has not been forthcoming.

There are clues, however.

Apart from anecdotal patient accounts of how their joint pains started after an apparent infective episode, or that their RA flared after such an infective bout, there are the cases of Chikungunya arthritis persisting and morphing to a chronic arthritis clinically indistinguishable from RA.

Then there is an increasing body of evidence drawing the association of dysbiosis with active RA.

And there is the autoantibody against citrullinated proteins, which is pathognomonic of RA. Citrullination is catalysed by enzymes called PADs, produced by both chordates and certain bacteria (eg P gingivalis in gum disease) to regulate normal DNA function. Perhaps the bacterial PAD triggers an appropriate immune response flagged by citrullinated gingival proteins, but an inappropriate immune response to human PAD generated citrullinated synovial proteins results in RA.


Findings suggests gut microbe is immune-relevant in RA pathogenesis

Observations from this study using tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples indicate…
healio.com

Evidence of the Immune Relevance of Prevotella copri, a Gut Microbe, in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Prevotella copri, an intestinal microbe, may overexpand in stool samples from patients with new‐onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but it is not yet clear whether the organism has immune relevance in RA…
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Proteome Analysis of Rheumatoid Arthritis Gut Mucosa

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease leading to cartilage damage and ultimately impaired joint function. To gain new insight into the…
pubs.acs.org

Probiotics improve clinical, metabolic status in rheumatoid arthritis

After 8 weeks, patients with rheumatoid arthritis who took probiotics showed improvements in disease activity and metabolic health.
clinicaladvisor.com