08/16/2023
An American-Swedish team of researchers has shown for the first time that differences in gut flora are associated with the later development of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a childhood rheumatic disease, and that these differences can be detected years before the disease is diagnosed.
© Sylvie Bouchard – Fotolia.com
American and Swedish scientists examined stool samples from one-year-olds as part of a long-term study entitled “All Babies in Southeast Sweden”. The experts compared bacteria found in children who later developed juvenile idiopathic arthritis with those found in children who later remained healthy.
“Our work suggests that an imbalance in microbes, particularly high levels of multiple pro-inflammatory bacterial species, could potentially serve to predict disease risk in later years,” said Angelica Ahrens, co-first author of the study and postdoctoral researcher.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or JIA, a childhood rheumatic disease, is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the joints and sometimes other organs. Children with JIA experience pain, joint swelling, stiffness, and other symptoms that make everyday life difficult.
“Current treatments can help control inflammation and relieve symptoms, but they are not without side effects and cannot achieve a cure. Alternatives need to be found, and the bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract could be a promising starting point,” said Dr. Erik Kindgren, co-first author of the study and pediatrician at Skaraborg Hospital in Sweden.
While other studies have shown microbial differences in children with previously diagnosed JIA, this study is the first to demonstrate that these differences are present several years before children develop symptoms.
The study found that children with certain gut bacteria that can cause inflammation were almost seven times more likely to develop JIA. The researchers also found that bacteria known to promote healthy gut lining were absent or low in their guts in children who later developed the disease.
Causes of the disease still unknown – intestinal bacteria may be the first clue
The scientists explained that the results are a first step in understanding the causes of JIA – the term “idiopathic” in the name means that the cause of the condition is unknown.
“Looking ahead, this discovery could lead to the development of check-ups in early childhood, which allow the creation of risk profiles and […] which enable preventive measures to reduce these risks at an early stage. In this way, we might even be able to prevent the outbreak of this disease in some young people,” Ahrens hoped.
First, however, the researchers need to understand how the bacteria identified in the study contribute to the disease. “What are these bacteria doing? […] in the body what leads to this disease? We have to investigate that next,” says Ahrens.
In the current study, only a snapshot of the gut microbiome at one year of age was examined. Future work could therefore analyze how the gut microbiome of children with JIA evolves over time.
Sources: ScienceDaily, University of Florida, eBioMedicine