Elsevier

Journal of Autoimmunity

Volume 98, March 2019, Pages 1-12
Journal of Autoimmunity

Gut microbiota in children and altered profiles in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2019.01.001Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Childhood is a crucial period of life for development of gut microbiota and immune system education.

  • Changing of dietary habits, environment, lifestyle and antibiotic usage led to modifications of gut microbiota composition.

  • In autoimmune diseases, microbial dysbiosis and gut permeability contribute to immunological imbalance and inflammation.

  • Evidences showed different microbial profiles that may drive gut and joint inflammation, contributing to JIA development.

  • The goal is to investigate strategies for restoration of gut microbial equilibrium and immune homeostasis.

Abstract

Microbial diversity plays a key role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and in the development of the immune system in the gut mucosa. Maybe one of the most important function of our gut microbiota is the immune system education, in particular the discrimination of friends from foes that occurs during childhood. In addition to bacterial antigens, several metabolites of microbial origin have a crucial role in training of the immune system, such as Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs).

There are many evidences on the role of the gut microbiota in rheumatic diseases, in particular modifications of microbiota composition causing dysbiosis that, in turn, can induce gut permeability, and thus immunological imbalance and trigger inflammation. In particular, immune cells can reach extra-intestinal sites, such as joints and trigger local inflammation. Childhood is a crucial period of life for development and evolution of the gut microbiota, especially for the acquisition of fundamental functions such as immunotolerance of commensal microorganisms. For this reason, gut dysbiosis is gaining interest as a potential pathogenetic factor for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Here we summarized the studies conducted on JIA patients in which a pro-arthritogenic microbial profiles has been observed; this, together with a depletion of microbial biodiversity, clearly distinguish patients' from healthy subjects' microbiota. Further studies are however needed to better clarify the role of microbiota in JIA pathogenesis.

Keywords

Gut microbiota
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Autoimmune disease

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These authors contributed equally.