Gut Microbiome profile of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Female Patients

The aim of the study is to identify the gut microbiome of Kazakhstani female rheumatoid arthritis patients. A total of 75 female patients who met the American College of Rheumatology 2010 classification criteria for RA and 114 healthy controls were included in the study. DNA was isolated from feces samples of all study participants for subsequent sequencing at the 16S V1-V3 locus on the MiSeq platform (Illumina) and analysis of the intestinal microbiome. By measuring with Shannon (p-value = 0.0205) and Simpson (p-value = 0.00152) indices, significant differences in bacterial diversity and abundance between the RA and control groups were identified. Compared to the non-RA control group, the gut microbiome samples from RA patients had more diverse bacterial populations. Prevotellaceae was more prevalent in the RA samples than in the control group, although fewer butyrate- and propionate-producing bacteria were present. The serum levels of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) all correlated favorably with the taxon Prevotella_9. Increased ascorbate metabolism, glycosaminoglycan degradation, and decreased biodegradation of xenobiotics were characteristics of the expected functional pattern of the seropositive ACPA+/RF and ACPA+/RF+ groups. These findings show that to treat RA in a tailored manner, the microbiota's functional pattern should be considered.