Rheumatoid arthritis can affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. It can cause painful, inflamed, and swelling of the joints. It is often seen in the hands or wrists. This condition is unknown.
Check out our Recently published studyMy colleagues and I discovered a key clue to the cause of this disease: bacteria in your stomach.
What causes rheumatoid-arthritis?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a form of rheumatoid. autoimmune conditionThis means that it occurs when the body’s immune systems starts attacking itself. Proteins called antibodiesThey are often used to fight off infections. Viral infectionsInstead, bacteria and viruses attack the joints.
For many years, researchers have been studying the origins of antibodies that cause rheumatoid. Some Research has demonstratedThe antibodies can begin to form in the mouth, lung, or intestines more than 10 years before symptoms manifest. Researchers have been unable to explain why they found these antibodies in particular areas.
We wanted to find out what might trigger the formation these antibodies. We wanted to know if bacteria could trigger the formation of these antibodies. microbiomeA community of microorganisms living in the intestines could be responsible for activating the immune response that causes rheumatoid.
We hypothesized that microbes could be producing these antibodies because they live in the same places as the anti-rheumatoid antibodies. These antibodies are meant to be used against bacteria. However, rheumatoid arthritis develops when the antibodies spread beyond the intestines and attack the joints.
First, we wanted to determine the type of intestinal bacteria targeted in these antibodies. We exposed the bacteria to antibodies in the feces from a subset people at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. This allowed us to isolate the specific bacterial species that had reacted to the antibodies and bound to them.
One previously unknown type of bacteria was found in the intestines around 20% of patients who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid or produced the antibodies that cause the disease.
As a Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma member, I suggested we name the species Subdoligranulum didolesgiiDidolesgii, which means arthritis or Rheumatism in Cherokee, is a reference to the contributions made by other Indigenous scientists to science. affects Indigenous peopleAt a higher rate that other populations.
Subdoligranulum didolesgiiIt has never been found in healthy individuals’ feces.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, we also discovered that bacteria could activate T cells (specialized immune cells) in their bodies. T cells are responsible for triggering inflammatory responses in the body and have been linked with the development of different autoimmune diseases.
These results suggest that the gut bacteria could be activating people suffering from rheumatoidarthritis. Instead of attacking the bacteria their immune system attacks and damages the joints.
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What is the reason for this bacteria?
It is not known why people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis develop an immune response. Subdoligranulum didolesgii. We believe it could be the cause of rheumatoid-related arthritis. This bacteria is only found in the intestines people suffering from rheumatoid, and not in healthy people.
Many immune responses exist They occur in the intestinesThey usually remain in one place and are not spread to other parts. We believe that an especially strong intestinal immune response is necessary to protect against this condition. Subdoligranulum didolesgiiCould allow antibodies to spread beyond the intestinal “firewall” to reach the joints.
We gave mice an oral dose to confirm our hypothesis. Subdoligranulum didolesgiiMonitored their reactions. Within 14 days, joint swelling began in the mice and they developed antibodies that attacked their joints.
The future of rheumatoid treatment
We hope that this research will shed light on the causes of rheumatoid. The next step is to find out how common these bacteria exist in the general populace and to determine if the presence of these bacteria may cause rheumatoid disease in humans.
It is important that you remember this AntibioticsThey are unlikely to provide any useful treatment for patients suffering from rheumatoidarthritis. Despite this, Subdoligranulum didolesgiiSome people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis may experience an autoimmune reaction. Antibiotics kill both harmful and helpful bacteria in the stomach. It is important to note that removing bacteria will not stop the immune system attacking the joints after it has begun.
However, we believe that these bacteria could be used as tools for developing treatments for rheumatoidarthritis and ways to prevent it from ever happening.
Meagan Christopherwell, MD/PhD Candidate in Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
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