Probiotic Supplementation for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Promising Adjuvant Therapy in the Gut Microbiome Era

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Catarina Sousa Guerreiro¹  Margarida Ferro²  Sofia Charneca²  Eduardo Dourado⁴  João Eurico Fonseca⁴ 

[1] Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;Laboratório de Nutrição, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;Serviço de Reumatologia e Doenças Ósseas Metabólicas, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Centro Académico de Medicina de Lisboa (CAML), Lisboa, Portugal;Unidade de Investigação em Reumatologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, CAML, Lisboa, Portugal;

关键词: dysbiosis;    inflammation;    autoimmunity;    rheumatology;    fermented foods;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fphar.2021.711788

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease that ultimately leads to joint destruction and functional disability. Although the exact etiology of RA is not fully understood, it is well established that gut microbiota (GM) plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of RA, with accumulating evidence suggesting that gut dysbiosis induces a chronic inflammatory response that may be linked to disease development. Of interest, patients with RA have significant changes in the intestinal microbiota compared to healthy controls, and several studies have suggested the use of probiotics as a possible adjuvant therapy for RA. Benefits of probiotic supplementation were reported in animal models of arthritis and human studies, but the current evidence regarding the effect of probiotic supplementation in the management of RA remains insufficient to make definite recommendations. Several different strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, as single species or in mixed culture, have been investigated, and some have demonstrated beneficial effects on disease activity in RA human subjects. As of now, L.casei probiotic bacteria seems to be the strongest candidate for application as adjuvant therapy for RA patients. In this review, we highlight the role of GM in the development and progression of RA and summarize the current knowledge on the use of probiotics as a potential adjuvant therapy for RA. We also review the proposed mechanisms whereby probiotics regulate inflammation. Finally, the role of fermented foods is discussed as a possible alternative to probiotic supplements since they have also been reported to have health benefits.

【 授权许可】

Unknown