May

Previous research has implicated high levels of the gut bacterium, called Prevotella copri, in rheumatoid arthritis. P. copri helps to digest dietary fiber in ...

[body weight](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323446), routinely engaging in moderate-intensity exercise, and not smoking all have the potential to impact gut dysbiosis and lessen the risk of [rheumatoid arthritis],” he added. She added that they have also begun investigating the immune effects of P. copri protein, p27, which may have limited their ability to assess immune responses to the bacterium. [study](https://elifesciences.org/articles/01202) found that three-quarters of people with recently diagnosed, untreated rheumatoid arthritis had P. They speculate that some species of Prevotella, especially P. The scientists found antibodies to a protein from P. Scientists believe that genetic and environmental factors conspire to cause the disease. [Another study](https://ard.bmj.com/content/78/5/590), published in 2019, found larger amounts of Prevotella species in the guts of people at risk of rheumatoid arthritis before they developed the disease, compared with controls. copri in the bloodstream of both people with rheumatoid arthritis and people at risk of the disease. This causes inflammation and painful swelling. [1.3 million](https://www.rheumatoidarthritis.org/ra/facts-and-statistics/) people in the United States and up to 1% of the world’s population. - A study has found high levels of antibodies against a protein from a gut bacterium in people at risk of rheumatoid arthritis and those who already have the disease.