ABNORMAL COLONIC MICROBIAL FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

The aim of this study was to examine the microflora-associated charact eristics (MACs) of faecal samples of patients with rheumatoid arthriti s (RA) and to evaluate the actions of sulphasalazine (SASP) on these M ACs. The conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol, the production of u robilinogen, the degradation of faecal tryptic activity (FTA) and of b eta-aspartylglycine were measured in faecal samples from 19 patients t reated with SASP and 21 patients not treated with this medication. A c ontrol group of 21 healthy subjects was sex- and age-matched with the untreated patients. The conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol showe d a bimodal distribution. The frequency of high converters in patients without SASP treatment was higher than in healthy subjects (p<0.05). Treatment with SASP markedly increased the FTA and reduced the urobili nogen values, as compared to the untreated patients (p<0.05). Beta-asp artylglycine was not found in any faecal samples. The results indicate that patients with RA have an abnormal formation of coprostanol, whic h is ascribed to alterations in the function of the Eubacteria species . In patients with RA, SASP treatment induces disturbances in the meta bolism of the microflora.