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Spondyloarthropathies

Ruminococcus on the horizon in arthritic disease

Increasing evidence points to a mechanistic link between gut and joint pathology as the gut contains the largest number of immune cells of any tissue and trillions of commensals that contribute to immune development and homeostasis. New research is putting the role of Ruminococcus gnavus in arthritic disease in the spotlight.

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Figure 1: Disturbed microbiota–host interactions in spondyloarthritis.

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Correspondence to Dirk Elewaut.

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Vereecke, L., Elewaut, D. Ruminococcus on the horizon in arthritic disease. Nat Rev Rheumatol 13, 574–576 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.130

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