Research finds potential biomarkers of arthritis in Crohn’s disease

According to a new study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, people with associated arthritis related to Crohn’s disease and immune system dysfunction have different gut bacteria or microbiota, and bacterial geoneutral bacteria can be potential biomarkers.

The study, published in Gut Microorganisms on February 13, demonstrated that the gut microbiota of people with clones and axial spondyloarthritis, is different from those with spinal and hip arthritis, from those with clones and peripheral spinal ar-stretching individuals to those affecting other parts of the knee.

“Inflammation of the joints is one of the most common intestinal epiphysis symptoms of Crohn’s disease, but clinicians have not been treated well as why this occurs and how it is treated,” said Dr. Randy Longman, director of the Jill Roberts Center at Weil Cornell Medicine’s Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Based on new research, M. Gnavus could serve as a biomarker for arthritis in patients with Crohn’s disease, Dr. Longman said. “This study also raises the possibility that there may be a causative link between the gut microbiota and the immune cell responses governing inflammation, but further investigation is needed,” he said.

Crohn’s disease and arthritis

Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disorder, affects more than half a million Americans and causes symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and fatigue. Up to a third of patients can experience joint inflammation, but the reason for this is not entirely clear, Dr. Longman said.

The intestinal lining usually acts as a barrier, confining bacteria to the intestines. In people with Crohn’s disease and spondyloarthritis, this barrier can be impaired, leading to immune cell responses to certain intestinal bacteria associated with arthritis.

Research data

To investigate intestinal bacteria associated with arthritis in Crohn’s disease, Dr. Longman and his colleagues analyzed 106 obscure stool samples recruited from the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This is one of the largest cohorts of patients analyzed for this purpose, Dr. Longman said.

The samples included 44 participants with Crohn’s disease without arthritis, 39 suffered from Crohn’s disease and peripheral spondyloarthritis, 14 with clones and axial spondyloarthritis, and 9 with healthy controls.

To better understand the gut bacteria in these groups, Dr. Grace Maldarelli, a medical instructor in the Infectious Diseases Division of Weill Cornell Medicine, ingested serum, blood, from study participants and incubated with stool samples. She then identified bacteria coated with IgG, a certain type of antibody. This type of antibody can circulate in the blood, recognize potential pathogens, and promote inflammation. She sequenced these antibody-coated bacteria to identify those associated with different research subgroups.

Dr. Maldarelli, M. We found that IgG coating in gnavus was found to be 33% of individuals with Crohn’s disease and peripheral spondyloarthritis, 29% of Crohn’s disease and axial spondyloarthritis, and 11% of Crohn’s disease without inflammation or healthy controls.

The researchers also found that participants with Crohn’s disease without arthritis and Crohn’s disease with peripheral spondyloarthritis have different gut bacteria compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, enterobacteria of Crohn’s disease with axial spondyloarthritis was different from Crohn’s disease with peripheral spondyloarthritis.

The level of IgG coating that researchers saw in peripheral blood was also correlated with disease activity scores in patients with arthritis, Longman said.

Future direction

M. Gnavus has many epitopes and is part of the bacteria that the immune system can recognize and respond to, Dr. Longman said. Future research may identify which epitopes that trigger the immune response are responsible so that scientists can target and modify this response as a potential treatment.

Ultimately, I hope to understand how to target or mitigate the effects of these bacteria on arthritis in Crohn’s patients with arthritis. ”

Dr. Grace Maldarelli, Medicine Instructor in the Infectious Diseases Division of Weill Cornell Medicine

Many Weill Cornell medical doctors and scientists maintain relationships, work with external organizations to promote scientific innovation and provide expert guidance. The agency publishes these disclosures to ensure transparency. For this information, see Dr. Randy Longman’s profile.

The studies reported in this publication were supported in part by the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases and the National Center for Complementary Integrated Health, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, in part by award numbers R01DK114252 and R01AT013241.