Infant gut microbiota and environment associate with juvenile idiopathic arthritis many years prior to disease onset, especially in genetically vulnerable children

Background The etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is poorly understood. This study investigated genetic and environmental factors and infant gut microbiota in a prospective birth cohort to assess disease risk.Methods Data was collected from the All Babies in Southeast Sweden (ABIS) population-based cohort (n = 17,055), 111 of whom later acquired JIA (ABISJIA). Stool samples were collected at one year of age for 10.4%. To determine disease association, 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed, with and without confound adjustment. Genetic and environmental risks were assessed.Findings ABISJIA had higher abundance of Acidaminococcales, Prevotella 9, and Veillonella parvula and lower abun-dance of Coprococcus, Subdoligranulum, Phascolarctobacterium, Dialister spp., Bifidobacterium breve, Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans, Roseburia intestinalis, and Akkermansia muciniphila (q's < 0.05). Parabacteroides distasonis greatly increased the odds of later contracting JIA (OR = 6.7; 1.81-24.84, p = 0.0045). Shorter breastfeeding duration and increased antibiotic exposure compounded risk in a dose-dependent manner, especially in those with genetic predisposition.Interpretation Microbial dysregulation in infancy may trigger or accelerate JIA development. Environmental risk factors have a stronger impact on genetically predisposed children. This study is the first to implicate microbial dysregulation in JIA at such an early age, with many bacterial taxa associated with risk factors. These findings provide opportunities for intervention or early screening and offer new insights into JIA pathogenesis.

Automated summary

This study investigated the role of genetic and environmental factors and infant gut microbiota in the development of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The findings suggest that microbial dysregulation in infancy may trigger or accelerate JIA development, with environmental risk factors having a stronger impact on genetically predisposed children. These findings provide opportunities for intervention or early screening and offer new insights into JIA pathogenesis.