Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis

BackgroundDifficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) refers to a subset of patients who fail to achieve adequate disease control after the use of two or more biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) with different mechanisms of action, while maintaini...

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Main Authors: Patricia Ruiz-Limón, Natalia Mena-Vázquez, Isabel Moreno-Indias, Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez, Arkaitz Mucientes, Sara Manrique-Arija, Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez, Laura Cano-García, Francisco J. Tinahones, Antonio Fernández-Nebro
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Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1497756/full
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author Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Natalia Mena-Vázquez
Natalia Mena-Vázquez
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Arkaitz Mucientes
Arkaitz Mucientes
Sara Manrique-Arija
Sara Manrique-Arija
Sara Manrique-Arija
Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez
Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez
Laura Cano-García
Laura Cano-García
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
author_facet Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Natalia Mena-Vázquez
Natalia Mena-Vázquez
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Arkaitz Mucientes
Arkaitz Mucientes
Sara Manrique-Arija
Sara Manrique-Arija
Sara Manrique-Arija
Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez
Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez
Laura Cano-García
Laura Cano-García
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
author_sort Patricia Ruiz-Limón
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundDifficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) refers to a subset of patients who fail to achieve adequate disease control after the use of two or more biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) with different mechanisms of action, while maintaining active inflammatory disease. This presents a therapeutic challenge and highlights the need to explore contributing factors such as the potential role of the gut microbiota. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the gut microbiota and inflammation in patients with D2T RA in comparison to patients with easy-to-treat RA (E2T RA).ObjectiveTo analyze the gut microbiota and inflammation in patients with D2T RA.MethodsWe performed an observational study of a prospective cohort between 2007 and 2011 and analyzed the gut microbiota. In 2022, we identified 2 extreme patient phenotypes: (1) D2T RA, which was defined as failure of ≥2 biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) (with different mechanisms of action) plus signs of active disease; and (2) easy-to-treat RA (E2T RA), i.e., stable disease managed with a single treatment. The gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing; bioinformatics analysis was performed using QIIME2, and its functionality was inferred through PICRUSt. We recorded data on clinical findings, inflammation, and cytokines. A Cox multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors related to D2T RA.ResultsThe study population comprised 39 patients: 13 (33%) with D2T RA and 26 (66%) with E2T RA. The families Lachnospiraceae and Pasteurellaceae, and their genera Coprococcus and Haemophilus were more abundant in E2T RA patients, while the genus Megasphaera was more abundant in D2T RA patients. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio decreased in D2T RA patients. The metabolic profile of the gut microbiota was characterized by differences in Degradation/Utilization/Assimilation pathway and the Biosynthesis pathway. The factors associated with D2T RA were inflammatory activity according to DAS28-ESR (HR, 2.649; p = 0.013), prednisone (HR, 3.794; p = 0.008), and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (HR, 0.288; p = 0.033).ConclusionThe composition of the gut microbiota of patients with D2T RA differed from that of E2T RA patients, as did the metabolic pathways.
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spelling doaj-art-b74b32e1a4a64281a1059b4fab1d6e6d2025-01-16T15:27:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2025-01-011110.3389/fmed.2024.14977561497756Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritisPatricia Ruiz-Limón0Patricia Ruiz-Limón1Patricia Ruiz-Limón2Natalia Mena-Vázquez3Natalia Mena-Vázquez4Isabel Moreno-Indias5Isabel Moreno-Indias6Isabel Moreno-Indias7Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez8Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez9Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez10Arkaitz Mucientes11Arkaitz Mucientes12Sara Manrique-Arija13Sara Manrique-Arija14Sara Manrique-Arija15Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez16Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez17Laura Cano-García18Laura Cano-García19Francisco J. Tinahones20Francisco J. Tinahones21Francisco J. Tinahones22Francisco J. Tinahones23Antonio Fernández-Nebro24Antonio Fernández-Nebro25Antonio Fernández-Nebro26The Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUnidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, SpainCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUnidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, SpainCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Medicina. Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Medicina. Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUnidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, SpainCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Medicina. Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, SpainThe Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga and Platform in Nanomedicine (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), Málaga, SpainUGC de Reumatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Medicina. Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, SpainBackgroundDifficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) refers to a subset of patients who fail to achieve adequate disease control after the use of two or more biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) with different mechanisms of action, while maintaining active inflammatory disease. This presents a therapeutic challenge and highlights the need to explore contributing factors such as the potential role of the gut microbiota. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the gut microbiota and inflammation in patients with D2T RA in comparison to patients with easy-to-treat RA (E2T RA).ObjectiveTo analyze the gut microbiota and inflammation in patients with D2T RA.MethodsWe performed an observational study of a prospective cohort between 2007 and 2011 and analyzed the gut microbiota. In 2022, we identified 2 extreme patient phenotypes: (1) D2T RA, which was defined as failure of ≥2 biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) (with different mechanisms of action) plus signs of active disease; and (2) easy-to-treat RA (E2T RA), i.e., stable disease managed with a single treatment. The gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing; bioinformatics analysis was performed using QIIME2, and its functionality was inferred through PICRUSt. We recorded data on clinical findings, inflammation, and cytokines. A Cox multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors related to D2T RA.ResultsThe study population comprised 39 patients: 13 (33%) with D2T RA and 26 (66%) with E2T RA. The families Lachnospiraceae and Pasteurellaceae, and their genera Coprococcus and Haemophilus were more abundant in E2T RA patients, while the genus Megasphaera was more abundant in D2T RA patients. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio decreased in D2T RA patients. The metabolic profile of the gut microbiota was characterized by differences in Degradation/Utilization/Assimilation pathway and the Biosynthesis pathway. The factors associated with D2T RA were inflammatory activity according to DAS28-ESR (HR, 2.649; p = 0.013), prednisone (HR, 3.794; p = 0.008), and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (HR, 0.288; p = 0.033).ConclusionThe composition of the gut microbiota of patients with D2T RA differed from that of E2T RA patients, as did the metabolic pathways.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1497756/fullrheumatoid arthritisgut microbiotadisease modifying antirheumatic drugsFirmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratioinflammation
spellingShingle Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Patricia Ruiz-Limón
Natalia Mena-Vázquez
Natalia Mena-Vázquez
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Isabel Moreno-Indias
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Jose Manuel Lisbona-Montañez
Arkaitz Mucientes
Arkaitz Mucientes
Sara Manrique-Arija
Sara Manrique-Arija
Sara Manrique-Arija
Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez
Rocío Redondo-Rodriguez
Laura Cano-García
Laura Cano-García
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Francisco J. Tinahones
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Antonio Fernández-Nebro
Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis
Frontiers in Medicine
rheumatoid arthritis
gut microbiota
disease modifying antirheumatic drugs
Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio
inflammation
title Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis
title_full Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis
title_fullStr Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis
title_full_unstemmed Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis
title_short Gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis
title_sort gut dysbiosis is associated with difficult to treat rheumatoid arthritis
topic rheumatoid arthritis
gut microbiota
disease modifying antirheumatic drugs
Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio
inflammation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1497756/full
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