RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Serologic Evidence of Gut-driven Systemic Inflammation in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis JF The Journal of Rheumatology JO J Rheumatol FD The Journal of Rheumatology SP 1624 OP 1631 DO 10.3899/jrheum.161589 VO 44 IS 11 A1 Lampros Fotis A1 Nurmohammad Shaikh A1 Kevin W. Baszis A1 Charles M. Samson A1 Raffi Lev-Tzion A1 Anthony R. French A1 Phillip I. Tarr YR 2017 UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/44/11/1624.abstract AB Objective. Accumulating evidence links juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to nonhost factors such as gut microbes. We hypothesize that children with new-onset JIA have increased intestinal bacterial translocation and circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS).Methods. We studied systemic treatment-naive patients with JIA [polyarticular JIA, n = 22, oligoarticular JIA, n = 31, and spondyloarthropathies (SpA), n = 16], patients with established inflammatory bowel disease–related arthritis (IBD-RA, n = 11), and 34 healthy controls. We determined circulating IgG reactivity against LPS, LPS-binding protein (LBP), α-1-acid glycoprotein (α-1AGP), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in plasma or serum from these patients and controls. Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS-27) was calculated for patients with JIA.Results. Circulating anticore LPS antibody concentrations in patients with polyarticular JIA (p = 0.001), oligoarticular JIA (p = 0.024), and SpA (p = 0.001) were significantly greater than in controls, but there were no significant intergroup differences. Circulating LBP concentrations were also significantly greater in patients with polyarticular JIA (p = 0.001), oligoarticular JIA (p = 0.002), and SpA (p = 0.006) than controls, as were α-1AGP concentrations (p = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.003, respectively). No differences were observed between controls and patients with IBD-RA in any of the assays. Circulating concentrations of LBP and α-1AGP correlated strongly with CRP concentrations (r = 0.78 and r = 0.66, respectively). Anticore LPS antibody levels and CRP (r = 0.26), LBP (r = 0.24), and α-AGP (r = 0.22) concentrations had weaker correlations. JADAS-27 scores correlated with LBP (r = 0.66) and α-1AGP concentrations (r = 0.58).Conclusion. Children with polyarticular JIA, oligoarticular JIA, and SpA have evidence of increased exposure to gut bacterial products. These data reinforce the concept that the intestine is a source of immune stimulation in JIA.