Authors
Abstract:
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of one or more arthritides (joint inflammations) in children. The exact mechanisms responsible for its development remain unknown. For many inflammatory diseases, an altered dialogue between the intestinal microbiota and its host is a key element in their pathophysiology. Fecal microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs synthesized by the host and found in feces, appear to play an important role in this dialogue. In JIA, while the presence of dysbiosis and altered miRNA profiles in blood, cells and joints have been established, the specificities of patients’ fecal miRNAs have not been studied. In this review, we discuss the value of a concomitant study of faecal miRNAs and the intestinal microbiota in JIA patients, a concept that appears essential for understanding the pathophysiology of this disease.