TUESDAY, Nov. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — At-risk individuals who progress to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a distinctive gut microbial composition, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Christopher M. Rooney, from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined structural, functional, and temporal changes in the gut microbiome among individuals who did versus those who did not progress to RA. A total of 124 individuals at risk for RA, defined by the presence of anticyclic citrullinated protein (anti-CCP) antibodies and new musculoskeletal symptoms, were identified (30 progressed to RA); 19 underwent longitudinal sampling at five time points over 15 months (five progressed to RA).

The researchers found that at baseline, there were significant differences observed in Prevotellaceae abundance for CCP-positive at-risk progressors versus nonprogressors. Progressors had gut microbiome instability 10 months before RA onset in longitudinal sampling; this phenomenon was not seen among nonprogressors. This finding may indicate a late microbial shift before onset of RA, with Prevotellaceae contributing to these changes. There was an association seen for structural changes in the gut microbiome during arthritis development with increased amino acid metabolism.

“Individuals at risk of RA harbor a distinctive gut microbial composition, including but not limited to an overabundance of Prevotellaceae species,” the authors write. “This microbial signature is consistent and correlates with traditional RA risk factors.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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