Prevotella Immune Response in Both Pre-Clinical & Established RA Save

In a recent analysis published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, people at risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and those with the disease had elevated blood levels of antibodies against a Prevotella copri (Pc). 

Seifert et al examined 98 established RA patients with 98 controls, as well as 67 patients at high risk for RA who were also compared with 67 controls.serum. They looked for  IgA and IgG anti-Pc-p27 antibodies (an immunogenic Pc protein, and looked at anti-Pc-p27 antibodies were stratified by RA-related autoantibody status.

Compared with controls, both the individuals with RA and at-risk individuals had higher blood levels of antibodies against a protein expressed by Prevotella copri, a bacterial strain typically found in the gut. Also, RA participants who were CCP+/RF+ had significantly increased levels of IgA anti-Pc-p27 antibodies and a trend toward levels of IgG anti-Pc-p27 antibodies when compared to their matched controls.

The authors noted that additional research into the roles of this and other microorganisms in rheumatoid arthritis is warranted.

“Our hope is that these findings can help to further elucidate the complex etiologic role of bacterial commensals in people who are at-risk of developing RA and in those with RA so that targeted therapies can be developed with the goals of providing better treatment and ultimately, prevention of the disease,” said corresponding author Jennifer A. Seifert, MPH, of the University of Colorado Denver.