Usefulness of complex bacteriological and serological analysis in patients with spondyloarthritis

Cristea,Daniela; Trandafir,Marius; Bojinca,Violeta  Claudia; Ciontea,Adriana  Simona; Andrei,Melania  Mihaela; Popa,Andrei; Lixandru,Brandusa  Elena; Militaru,Cornelia  Madalina; Nascutiu,Alexandra  Maria; Predeteanu,Denisa; Ionescu,Ruxandra; Popescu,Claudiu; Cotar,Ani  Ioana; Popa,Mircea  Ioan; Spandidos,Demetrios  A.; Codita,Irina

doi:10.3892/etm.2019.7336

Usefulness of complex bacteriological and serological analysis in patients with spondyloarthritis

Authors:
- Daniela Cristea
- Marius Trandafir
- Violeta Claudia Bojinca
- Adriana Simona Ciontea
- Melania Mihaela Andrei
- Andrei Popa
- Brandusa Elena Lixandru
- Cornelia Madalina Militaru
- Alexandra Maria Nascutiu
- Denisa Predeteanu
- Ruxandra Ionescu
- Claudiu Popescu
- Ani Ioana Cotar
- Mircea Ioan Popa
- Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Irina Codita
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Affiliations: ‘Cantacuzino’ National Medico‑Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest 0050096, Romania, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 050474, Romania, Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Hospital Sfanta Maria, Bucharest 011172, Romania, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Published online on: March 4, 2019 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7336
Pages: 3465-3476
Copyright: © Cristea et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of associated chronic systemic inflammatory immune‑mediated rheumatic diseases affecting axial and peripheral joints and entheses. The aim of the present study was to identify what parameters are useful to determine in order to better understand the correlation between the disease activity/severity and the microbiological results/immune status against intestinal and/or urogenital pathogens. Microorganisms known to trigger SpA, including Klebsiella spp., Yersinia spp., Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Chlamydia spp., were analyzed in various specimens (stool, urine, synovial fluid and serum) collected from 27 randomly selected SpA patients and 26 healthy controls using a combined direct and indirect approach relying on conventional culture technique and nucleic acid‑based assays together with serological testing by ELISA. Although Escherichia coli derived from phylogroup A prevailed in the gut microflora of the patients and controls, differences were observed regarding the representatives of the other phylogroups with a higher prevalence of E.coli members of phylogenetic group B1 in the stool specimens of patients. Antibodies against the targeted species were detected in SpA patients and controls, and the serological profiles of the former were more diverse and complex. In conclusion, the detection of anti‑bacterial antibodies combined with other specific laboratory investigations should be more extensively used to monitor SpA patients in association with their symptoms and in order to determine and administer more effective therapeutics.

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