The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Microbiome Research Provides Clue to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Microbiome Research Provides Clue to Rheumatoid Arthritis

February 20, 2014 • By Lara C. Pullen, PhD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Results from multiple investigations have pieced together a picture of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a multifactorial disease that occurs in sequential phases. Certain alleles with the major histocompatibility (MHC) class II locus, specifically DRB1, confer a higher risk for disease. Despite risk factors such as this, individuals with genetic susceptibility to RA may remain healthy for a lifetime.

You Might Also Like
  • The Microbiome’s Role in Inflammatory Arthritis
  • Gut Microbe, Prevotella copri, Implicated in RA Pathogenesis
  • Research Provides Insight into Impact of Microbiome on Health, Rheumatic Disease
Also By This Author
  • Smart, Stem Cell-Based Implants May Revolutionize the Treatment of Arthritis

A great deal of research has explored environmental factors contributing to the pathogenesis of RA. This research has included studies of the human microbiome—a diverse set of microorganisms living primarily in the human gut. While gut microbiota have been implicated in animal models of arthritis, the verdict is still out on the role of dysbiosis and human RA.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

A new study suggests that intestinal expansion of Prevotella copri may be associated with the pathogenesis of RA. Jose U. Scher, MD, director of the Arthritis Clinic at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City, and colleagues describe the results from their stool-sample analysis in eLIFE.1 The team compared the genome sequence of gut bacteria from patients with RA to those from healthy controls.

“Despite impressive advances in RA pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutics, the etiology of this disease remains elusive. For many decades, gut bacteria have been implicated in inflammatory arthritis. Using novel technologies that help bypass the need for classic cultures, we have been able to describe an association of a particular species P. copri with an autoimmune phenotype,” says Dr. Scher.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

In particular, new-onset untreated RA is strongly correlated with the presence of P. copri. The prevalence of a Prevotella-dominated metagenome is also associated with a significant decrease in purine metabolic pathways.

Colonization of mice with P. copri confirm the ability of P. copri to dominate colonic commensal micobiota in the absence of obvious disease. Mice colonized with P. copri did, however, display increased inflammation during dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)–induced colitis.

Dr. Scher expressed his surprise with two findings, “First, that P. copri abundance in the gut correlates inversely with presence of shared epitope alleles. This may represent a gene–environment [microbiome] interaction that needs further investigation.”

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

He also was surprised by the implication that the microbiome may explain how certain immunosuppressants are metabolized.

He proposed that gut microbial composition may partially explain why some patients respond better to methotrexate than others.

The difference in response may be due to the ability of the gut microbiome to modulate drug bioavailability.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions, Research Reviews, Rheumatoid Arthritis Tagged With: Microbiome, Pathogenesis, Prevotella copri, Research, Rheumatoid arthritis

You Might Also Like:
  • The Microbiome’s Role in Inflammatory Arthritis
  • Gut Microbe, Prevotella copri, Implicated in RA Pathogenesis
  • Research Provides Insight into Impact of Microbiome on Health, Rheumatic Disease
  • Research Suggests Th17 Cells Have Microbiota-Dependent Role in RA

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.