MSGID: 1:317/3 64a79502   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Study uncovers gut bacteria differences in children who later develop   
   juvenile idiopathic arthritis    
      
     Date:   
         July 6, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Florida   
     Summary:   
         For the first time, scientists have shown that gut bacteria   
         differences are associated with later development of juvenile   
         idiopathic arthritis, a debilitating rheumatic childhood disease,   
         and that these differences are present years before the disease   
         is diagnosed.   
      
      
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   For the first time, scientists have shown that gut bacteria differences   
   are associated with later development of juvenile idiopathic arthritis,   
   a debilitating rheumatic childhood disease, and that these differences   
   are present years before the disease is diagnosed.   
      
   The research team, which includes scientists from the University of   
   Florida and researchers in Sweden, made this discovery by analyzing   
   stool samples from one- year-old children in a long-term study called   
   All Babies in Southeast Sweden.   
      
   The scientists compared bacteria found in children who went on to develop   
   juvenile idiopathic arthritis with those who did not.   
      
   "Our work suggests that an imbalance in microbes, especially the increased   
   prevalence of several proinflammatory bacterial species, could serve   
   as a potential indicator of future disease risk," said Angelica Ahrens,   
   co-first author of the study and a postdoctoral associate in the UF/IFAS   
   department of microbiology and cell science.   
      
   Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or JIA, which is also called childhood   
   arthritis and pediatric rheumatic disease, is an autoimmune disease   
   marked by inflammation of the joints and sometimes other parts of the   
   body. Children with JIA experience pain, swelling, stiffness and other   
   symptoms that make daily activities challenging. Current treatments for   
   JIA include anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid injections.   
      
   "These treatments can help control inflammation and reduce symptoms,   
   but they are not without their drawbacks and they do not cure the   
   disease. There is a need to find alternative approaches, and the bacteria   
   found in gastrointestinal tract may be a promising place to start,"   
   said Dr. Erik Kindgren, co-first author of the study and a pediatrician   
   at Skaraborg Hospital in Sweden who treats children with JIA.   
      
   While other studies have shown microbial differences in children already   
   diagnosed with JIA, this study is the first to demonstrate that these   
   differences are present years before children first show symptoms of   
   the disease.   
      
   The study found that children with gut bacteria known to cause   
   inflammation were nearly seven times more likely to develop JIA. The   
   researchers also found that bacteria known to promote a healthy gut lining   
   were absent or reduced in children who later developed the disease. These   
   trends held true even when the researchers controlled for factors already   
   associated with the disease, such as being breastfed for shorter periods   
   or early exposure to antibiotics.   
      
   The scientists say the findings are a first step toward understanding   
   what causes JIA -- the term "idiopathic" in the name means the cause of   
   the condition is unknown.   
      
   "Looking ahead, this line of discovery could lead to the development   
   of screening tools in early pediatric wellness visits. By constructing   
   risk profiles and implementing targeted interventions and preventative   
   measures to reduce those risks, we may be able to prevent disease onset   
   in some people," Ahrens said.   
      
   First, though, researchers will need to understand how the bacteria   
   identified in the study contribute to the disease.   
      
   "Functionally, what are these bacteria doing in the body that leads to   
   this disease? That's what we need to investigate next," Ahrens said.   
      
   The current study only looked at a snapshot of the gut microbiome at   
   one year of age, so future work may investigate how the gut microbiome   
   of children with JIA progresses over time.   
      
   The study's authors -- which also include Eric Triplett, chair of the   
   UF/IFAS department of microbiology and cell science, and Dr. Johnny   
   Ludvigsson, senior professor at Linko"ping University and both founder and   
   leader of the All Babies in Southeast Sweden study -- plan to continue   
   their trans-Atlantic collaboration by examining microbial differences   
   associated with other conditions that appear in childhood.   
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Erik Kindgren, Angelica P. Ahrens, Eric W. Triplett, Johnny   
      Ludvigsson.   
      
         Infant gut microbiota and environment associate with juvenile   
         idiopathic arthritis many years prior to disease onset, especially   
         in genetically vulnerable children. eBioMedicine, 2023; 93: 104654   
         DOI: 10.1016/ j.ebiom.2023.104654   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230706124526.htm   
      
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