The microbiome and psoriatic arthritis

Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2014 Mar;16(3):407. doi: 10.1007/s11926-013-0407-2.

Abstract

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease, seen in combination with the chronic inflammatory skin disease psoriasis and belonging to the family of spondylarthritides (SpA). A link is recognized between psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Environmental factors seem to induce inflammatory disease in individuals with underlying genetic susceptibility. The microbiome is a subject of increasing interest in the etiology of these inflammatory immune-mediated diseases. The intestinal microbiome is able to affect extra-intestinal distant sites, including the joints, through immunomodulation. At this point, evidence regarding a relationship between the microbiome and psoriatic arthritis is scarce. However, we hypothesize that common immune-mediated inflammatory pathways seen in the "skin-joint-gut axis" in psoriatic arthritis are induced or at least mediated by the microbiome. Th17 has a crucial function in this mechanism. Further establishment of this connection may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for psoriatic arthritis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / drug therapy
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / immunology
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / microbiology*
  • Autoimmunity
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Fungi / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Intestines / microbiology
  • Microbiota* / immunology
  • Probiotics / therapeutic use
  • Skin / microbiology
  • Symbiosis
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • Tissue Transplantation / methods

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents