FECAL MICROBIAL-FLORA AND DISEASE-ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS DURING A VEGAN DIET

Citation
R. Peltonen et al., FECAL MICROBIAL-FLORA AND DISEASE-ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS DURING A VEGAN DIET, British journal of rheumatology, 36(1), 1997, pp. 64-68
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Rheumatology
ISSN journal
02637103
Volume
36
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
64 - 68
Database
ISI
SICI code
0263-7103(1997)36:1<64:FMADIR>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
To clarify the role of the faecal flora in the diet-induced decrease o f rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity, 43 RA patients were randomized i nto two groups: the test group to receive living food, a form of uncoo ked vegan diet rich in lactobacilli, and the control group to continue their ordinary omnivorous diets. Based on clinical assessments before , during and after the intervention period, a disease improvement inde x was constructed for each patient. According to the index, patients w ere assigned either to a group with a high improvement index (HI) or t o a group with a low improvement index (LO). Stool samples collected f rom each patient before the intervention and at 1 month were analysed by direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography of bacterial cellular fatty acids. This method has proved to be a simple and sensitive way to detect changes and differences in the faecal microbial flora betwee n individual stool samples or groups of them. A significant, diet-indu ced change in the faecal flora (P = 0.001) was observed in the test gr oup, but not in the control group. Further, in the test group, a signi ficant (P = 0.001) difference was detected between the HI and LO categ ories at 1 month, but not in the pre-test samples. We conclude that a vegan diet changes the faecal microbial flora in RA patients, and chan ges in the faecal flora are associated with improvement in RA activity .