Proteomics dataset: The colon mucosa from inflammatory bowel disease patients, gastrointestinal asymptomic rheumatoid arthritis patients, and controls

Intestinal microbiome–rheumatoid arthritis crosstalk: The therapeutic role of probiotics

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic autoimmune disease with a global health importance. It is characterized by long-term complications, progressive disability and high mortality tied to increased social-economic pressures. RA has an inflammatory microenvironment as one of the major underlying factors together with other complex processes. Although mechanisms underlying the triggering of RA remain partially elusive, microbiota interactions have been implicated. Again, significant alterations in the gut microbiome of RA patients compared to healthy individuals have intimated a chronic inflammatory response due to gut dysbiosis. Against this backdrop, myriads of studies have hinted at the prospective therapeutic role of probiotics as an adjuvant for the management of RA in the quest to correct this dysbiosis. In this article, the major gut microbiome alterations associated with RA are discussed. Subsequently, the role of the gut microbiome dysbiosis in the initiation and progression of RA is highlighted. Lastly, the effect and mechanism of action of probiotics in the amelioration of symptoms and severity of RA are also espoused. Although strain-specific, probiotic supplementation as adjuvant therapy for the management of RA is very promising and warrants more research.

The emerging role of neutrophilic extracellular traps in intestinal disease

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are extracellular reticular fibrillar structures composed of DNA, histones, granulins and cytoplasmic proteins that are delivered externally by neutrophils in response to stimulation with various types of microorganisms, cytokines and host molecules, etc. NET formation has been extensively demonstrated to trap, immobilize, inactivate and kill invading microorganisms and acts as a form of innate response against pathogenic invasion. However, NETs are a double-edged sword. In the event of imbalance between NET formation and clearance, excessive NETs not only directly inflict tissue lesions, but also recruit pro-inflammatory cells or proteins that promote the release of inflammatory factors and magnify the inflammatory response further, driving the progression of many human diseases. The deleterious effects of excessive release of NETs on gut diseases are particularly crucial as NETs are more likely to be disrupted by neutrophils infiltrating the intestinal epithelium during intestinal disorders, leading to intestinal injury, and in addition, NETs and their relevant molecules are capable of directly triggering the death of intestinal epithelial cells. Within this context, a large number of NETs have been reported in several intestinal diseases, including intestinal infections, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal ischemia–reperfusion injury, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and colorectal cancer. Therefore, the formation of NET would have to be strictly monitored to prevent their mediated tissue damage. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge on the formation mechanisms of NETs and their pathophysiological roles in a variety of intestinal diseases, with the aim of providing an essential directional guidance and theoretical basis for clinical interventions in the exploration of mechanisms underlying NETs and targeted therapies.

Abincol® (Lactobacillus plantarum LP01, Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02, Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01), an oral nutraceutical, pragmatic use in patients with chronic intestinal disorders

Chronic intestinal disorders (CID), including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diverticular disease (DD), are diseases that relapse episodes. There is evidence that patients with CID have intestinal dysbiosis, so probiotics may counterbalance the impaired microbiota. Therefore, the current survey evaluated the efficacy and safety of Abincol®, an oral nutraceutical containing a probiotic mixture with Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (1 billion of living cells), Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02 (800 millions of living cells), and Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01 (200 millions of living cells), in 3,460 outpatients (1,660 males and 1,800 females, mean age 55 years) with chronic intestinal disorders. Patients took 1 stick/daily for 8 weeks. Abincol® significantly diminished the presence and the severity of intestinal symptoms and improved stool form. In conclusion, the current survey suggests that Abincol® may be considered an effective and safe therapeutic option in the management of patients with chronic intestinal disorders.