The role of the gut microbiome in the development of Rheumatoid Arthritis in individuals positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated protein antibody

This thesis examined the gut microbiota in individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to investigate the role of the gut microbiome in RA development. The study included participants with pre-clinical RA and healthy controls. Samples were collected at multiple time points over a 15-month period. The results showed that there were changes in the gut microbiome associated with RA progression, specifically affecting the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla. A particular strain of Prevotellaceae was more abundant in at-risk individuals compared to healthy controls. Temporal analysis suggested that RA progression involves the development of a less diverse microbiome characterized by the accumulation of RA-associated pathobionts. These findings confirm and expand on previous research linking bacterial associations, including Prevotellaceae, to the progression of RA. Further investigations will explore the relationship between bacterial specialisation and the risk profile in the development of RA-related autoimmunity.