Gut bacteria can cause, predict and prevent rheumatoid arthritis

[A.B.]

More than 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, a disorder that causes painful swelling in the joints. Scientists have a limited understanding of the processes that trigger the disease. Dr. Taneja and her team identified intestinal bacteria as a possible cause; their studies indicate that testing for specific microbiota in the gut can help physicians predict and prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160711151315.htm

 

[Gemini]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160711151315.htm

As in RA, there's a large International MS Microbiome Study underway involving 4000 patients/controls:

http://imsms.org/?page_id=21

Stresses the importance of microbiome studies in ME/CFS per Dr. Lipkin and others.

 

[Effi]

there's a large International MS Microbiome Study underway involving 4000 patients/controls

Not sure if this has been posted somewhere, but here's a recent small study about the microbiome in MS: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep28484

Multiple sclerosis patients have a distinct gut microbiota compared to healthy controls
Jun Chen, Nicholas Chia, Krishna R. Kalari, Janet Z. Yao, Martina Novotna, M. Mateo Paz Soldan, David H. Luckey, Eric V. Marietta, Patricio R. Jeraldo, Xianfeng Chen, Brian G. Weinshenker, Moses Rodriguez, Orhun H. Kantarci, Heidi Nelson, Joseph A. Murray & Ashutosh K. Mangalam

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease, the etiology of which involves both genetic and environmental factors. The exact nature of the environmental factors responsible for predisposition to MS remains elusive; however, it’s hypothesized that gastrointestinal microbiota might play an important role in pathogenesis of MS. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate whether gut microbiota are altered in MS by comparing the fecal microbiota in relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) (n = 31) patients to that of age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 36).

Phylotype profiles of the gut microbial populations were generated using hypervariable tag sequencing of the V3–V5 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Detailed fecal microbiome analyses revealed that MS patients had distinct microbial community profile compared to healthy controls. We observed an increased abundance of Psuedomonas, Mycoplana, Haemophilus, Blautia, and Dorea genera in MS patients, whereas control group showed increased abundance of Parabacteroides, Adlercreutzia and Prevotella genera.

Thus our study is consistent with the hypothesis that MS patients have gut microbial dysbiosis and further study is needed to better understand their role in the etiopathogenesis of MS.

 

[Gemini]

Not sure if this has been posted somewhere, but here's a recent small study about the microbiome in MS: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep28484

Thank you for posting this Mayo Clinic study @Effi. Very detailed & interesting.

Excerpts:

"Metabolites derived from the metabolism of phytoestrogens...and bile acids play an important role in maintaining homeostasis at the mucosal surfaces through the induction of anti-inflammatory responses."

"When combined with the fact that RRMS patients have reduced levels of bacteria responsible for metabolizing phytoestrogens, this might implicate regulation of estrogen receptor signaling by gut microbiota and/or their metabolites in the etiopathogenesis of RRMS."

"The abundance of microbes involved in the phytoestrogen metabolic pathway is interesting as there is increased female prevalence in MS."

"Large studies that include time series of samples and methodology to study the functional changes in the intestinal microbiota are needed for the evaluation of the role of gut microbiota in the modulation of immune system response."

Perhaps with Dr. Nath's and NINDS expertise along with increased NIH funding Dr. Lipkin and others will perform large microbiome studies for us.

 

[Nielk]

Why assume that this is a causal effect as opposed to a result from chronic inflammation in the body?

 

[roller]

all diseases may change the microbiome.

the changes would be logical anyway, when assuming that the classic way of falling sick is due to bug/parasite/pathogen infestation.

so sad, how they are staggering through the fog.
im wondering, if their brain fog/mental handicap isnt worse than ours.