Infant Gut Microbiome Holds Clues on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

In a publication titled “Infant gut microbiota and environment associate with juvenile idiopathic arthritis many years prior to disease onset, especially in genetically vulnerable children,” scientists describe how children who develop juvenile idiopathic arthritis have signs of the disease in the gut microbiomes at least 10 years before diagnosis. They found that children who develop juvenile idiopathic arthritis had higher abundances of certain bacteria, including those that are proinflammatory, and lower abundances of other bacteria compared to children that did not develop the disease. Breastfeeding duration and antibiotic exposure also had an effect, as they can shape the formation of the gut microbiome.

This study, which is the first to examine the early gut microbiome in the context of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lays the groundwork for the development of early screening or intervention for this disease.

Citation:

Kindgren, E., Ahrens, A. P., Triplett, E. W., & Ludvigsson, J. (2023). Infant gut microbiota and environment associate with juvenile idiopathic arthritis many years prior to disease onset, especially in genetically vulnerable children. eBioMedicine, 93, 104654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104654