A Possible Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Lianjun Yang 
1
Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, Orthopaedic Hospital of Guangdong Province, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
2
Sansom Institute for Health Research and School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide SA5001, Australia
3
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD4059, Australia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Academic Editor: Charles J. Malemud
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2016, 17(12), 2126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms17122126
Received: 3 November 2016 / Revised: 9 December 2016 / Accepted: 14 December 2016 / Published: 17 December 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bone and Cartilage Research)
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the sacroiliac joints and the spine, for which the pathogenesis is thought to be a result of the combination of host genetic factors and environmental triggers. However, the precise factors that determine one’s susceptibility to AS remain to be unraveled. With 100 trillion bacteria residing in the mammalian gut having established a symbiotic relation with their host influencing many aspects of host metabolism, physiology, and immunity, a growing body of evidence suggests that intestinal microbiota may play an important role in AS. Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the potential role of the microbiome in the etiology of AS, such as alterations of intestinal permeability, stimulation of immune responses, and molecular mimicry. In this review, the existing evidence for the involvement of the microbiome in AS pathogenesis was discussed and the potential of intestinal microbiome-targeting strategies in the prevention and treatment of AS was evaluated.
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Keywords:
ankylosing spondylitis; intestinal; microbiota; microbiome; treatment
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MDPI and ACS Style
Yang, L.; Wang, L.; Wang, X.; Xian, C.J.; Lu, H. A Possible Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2016, 17, 2126.
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