Host–microbiota interactions in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis: gut and mouth microbes linked to autoimmune disease Microbes living in the gut and mouth have been implicated in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and treatments that promote the growth of healthier bacterial communities may help weaken this autoimmune disease. Yuichi Maeda and Kiyoshi Takeda from Osaka University, Japan, review data from mice and humans linking RA to altered microbial compositions in the gut. They focus on a particular bacterium called Prevotella copri, which is found at much higher numbers in the gastrointestinal tracts of people with newly diagnosed RA than in those without the disease. Certain mouth-dwelling bacteria may also help exacerbate RA through the induction of antibodies directed against the host. The exact molecular mechanism by which gut and oral microbes contribute to RA remains unclear.