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Microbiome Research Reports

Poznyak et al. Microbiome Res Rep. 2026;5:3 DOI:10.20517/mrr.2025.69

An overview of the role of the gut microbiota in
rheumatoid arthritis

Anastasia V. Poznyak , Aleksey A. Vatlin , Vsevolod V. Pavshintsev , Nikita A. Mitkin , Olga N. Maltseva ,
3
2
2
1
2
Aleksandra S. Utkina , Alexander N. Orekhov 1
4
Keywords:
Rheumatoid arthritis,
autoimmunity,
inflammation, microbiome
Citation: Poznyak AV,
Vatlin AA, Pavshintsev VV,
Mitkin NA, Maltseva ON,
Utkina AS, Orekhov AN. An
overview of the role of the
gut microbiota in
rheumatoid arthritis.
Microbiome Res Rep.
2026;5:3.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517
/mrr.2025.69

Received: 14 Jul 2025
First Decision: 12 Nov Abstract
2025
Revised: 28 Jan 2026 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease preceded by a prolonged
Accepted: 6 Feb 2026 preclinical phase marked by the emergence of autoantibodies and mucosal immune
Published: 9 Mar 2026 dysregulation. Evidence from human studies and animal models consistently demonstrates
that gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to this transition, particularly through impaired
Academic Editors:
Miguel Gueimonde, intestinal barrier function, activation of pro-inflammatory pathways, and molecular
Sin-Hyeog Im mimicry. Specific taxa - including Prevotella copri, Collinsella aerofaciens, and reductions in
Copy Editor: butyrate-producing bacteria - have been linked to heightened systemic inflammation,
Shu-Yuan Duan increased T helper 17 responses, and the generation of RA-associated autoantibodies.
Production Editor:
Shu-Yuan Duan Current research also indicates that anti-rheumatic medications such as methotrexate,
sulfasalazine, and minocycline produce measurable shifts in gut microbial composition,
suggesting that microbiota-drug interactions may influence treatment response.
Therapeutic approaches aimed at modifying gut ecology - including dietary interventions,
prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation - show early potential in
restoring microbial balance, improving intestinal barrier integrity, and reducing
inflammatory markers, although evidence in the preclinical RA stage remains limited.
Additionally, emerging data highlight the importance of intestinal autophagy and

1 Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, Moscow 121609, Russia.
2 Institute of Ecology, Рeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow 117198, Russia.
3 Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia.
4 Department of Commodity Expertise and Customs Business, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow 115054, Russia.

Correspondence to: Anastasia V. Poznyak, Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, Moscow 121609, Russia. E-mail: tehhy_85@mail.ru

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