Well you may ask, apparently quite a lot according to new published data in Science Translational Medicine by the Inflammatory Arthritis Microbiota Consortium, based at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in Oxford.
The study looked at the human microbiome, which is the term for a group of bacteria and microorganisms that play a vital part in our body’s function, but in some instances can be harmful. Imbalances can cause problems not least bloating, indigestion and diarrhoea. There has already been a link made between the microbiome and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
In the study, stool (poo) samples were analysed from 221 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis and 219 healthy controls. The aims were to see whether what was in the gut bacteria of those with inflammatory conditions, was linked to higher levels of inflammation.
The study results found that those with inflammatory arthritis shared similar alterations to the make-up of their gut bacteria, which has suggested that there is some link or influence on inflammation in humans.
The researchers feel that the work has expanded the understanding of what is the likely role of those changes in the gut, on people with inflammatory arthritis.
Source:
Alterations in the gut microbiome implicate key taxa and metabolic pathways across inflammatory arthritis phenotypes. Thompson et al. Science Translational Medicine, Vol 15, Issue 706. 26 July 2023.