DECREASE IN ANTIPROTEUS MIRABILIS BUT NOT ANTI-ESCHERICHIA COLI ANTIBODY-LEVELS IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS PATIENTS TREATED WITH FASTING AND AONE-YEAR VEGETARIAN DIET

Objective-To measure Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli antibody l evels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during treatment by v egetarian diet. Methods-Sera were collected from 53 RA patients who to ok part in a controlled clinical trial of fasting and a one year veget arian diet. P mirabilis and E coli antibody levels were measured by an indirect immunofluorescence technique and an enzyme immunoassay, resp ectively. Results-The patients on the vegetarian diet had a significan t reduction in the mean anti-proteus titres at all time points during the study, compared with baseline values (all p < 0.05). No significan t change in titre was observed in patients who followed an omnivorous diet. The decrease in anti-proteus titre was greater in the patients w ho responded well to the vegetarian diet compared with diet nonrespond ers and omnivores. The total IgG concentration and levels of antibody against E coli, however, were almost unchanged in all patient groups d uring the trial. The decrease from baseline in proteus antibody levels correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with the decrease in a modified Stoke disease activity index. Conclusion-The decrease in P mirabilis a ntibody levels in the diet responders and the correlation between the decrease in proteus antibody level and decrease in disease activity su pports the suggestion of an aetiopathogenetic role for P mirabilis in RA,