Annals of Medicine

The human intestine contains over 1000 bacterial species and 10¹⁴ bacterial cells, but it is difficult to detect most anaerobic bacteria with culture techniques. However, recent sequencing technology, known as high-throughput microbial DNA sequencing, has allowed us to better characterize the human microbiota. Recent advances in our understanding of mucosal immunity have clarified the correlation between gut microbiota and host immune responses. Most of the interactions between a host and its commensal microbiota are symbiotic. However, microbial abnormalities, called “dysbiosis” are thought to link with various kinds of diseases including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Gut and oral microbiota have been implicated in the development of RA. In some patients with RA, a particular bacterium called Prevotella copri is found at much higher numbers in the gastrointestinal tracts of people with newly diagnosed RA than in those without the disease. In addition, certain periodontal bacteria may also help to exacerbate RA through the induction of antibodies directed against the host. The exact molecular mechanism by which gut and oral microbes contribute to RA remains unclear. Thus, it is an important issue to analyze the relationship between the gut and oral microbiota in patients with rheumatic diseases.

For this Article Collection, the goal is to solicit submission of any articles focusing on research of animals or humans linking rheumatic diseases such as RA to altered microbial compositions and dysbiosis in the gut, including but not limited to:

• Overview of the gut microbiome in rheumatic diseases.
• Changes in the gut microbiome associated with rheumatic diseases, including alterations in microbial diversity, abundance, and composition.
• Mechanisms by which the gut microbiome may influence rheumatic diseases, such as modulation of the immune system, impact on the gut barrier function, and the production of metabolites.
• Potential diagnostic and prognostic value of the gut microbiome in rheumatic diseases.
• Potential therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome in rheumatic diseases, such as probiotics, prebiotics, dietary interventions, and fecal microbiota transplantation.
• Challenges and limitations in studying the microbiome in rheumatic diseases.
• Future directions in microbiome research in rheumatic diseases, including the development of microbiome-based therapies, identification of microbial biomarkers, and validation of causality between microbiome dysbiosis and rheumatic diseases.

Microbiome research in oral and skin regions in rheumatic diseases is also acceptable for this Article Collection.

Annals of Medicine accepts the following types of articles:

• Research Articles
• Review Articles
• Clinical Trials
• Protocols
• Case Series
• Commentaries

When submitting your article, please select the section, ‘Rheumatology’, and the Special Issue, ‘Microbiome and Rheumatic Diseases’ from the drop-down menu on the submission system.

Please contact Sam Zhang at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

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Annals of Medicine is an online, open access, international journal publishing across all areas of medicine and is part of our Elevate Series. This means that you will receive a concierge-level publishing experience, including dedicated support from our expert in-house Editorial team, with guaranteed response times of within 48 hours, an initial decision on whether your article will be peer reviewed within 5 working days, and a first decision on your research within an average of 22 working days.

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