The study aims to map the role of bacterial EVs in the pathogenesis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose is to determine 1) whether the synovial fluid of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis contains EVs secreted by bacteria; 2) the significance of bacterial vesicles found in synovial fluid and the biomolecules they carry in the pathogenesis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; 3) whether the EVs secreted by the intestinal microbiota of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and the spectrum of biomolecules they carry differ from the EVs secreted by the intestinal microbiota of healthy children; 4) whether new biomarkers of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can be identified from bacterial EVs in synovial fluid or the intestine or from their content. Our research hypothesis is that bacterial vesicles in synovial fluid are one possible mechanism in the development of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Using patient data from newly diagnosed juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, carefully studied and monitored clinically and using various laboratory methods, we will investigate the effects of bacterial particles in synovial fluid on the immunological activation of the synovial membrane and their significance in the pathogenesis of the disease and, through future monitoring, also in the long-term course of the disease and treatment response. In addition to elucidating the etiopathogenesis, the new information produced by the study may also be important in identifying different types of patients and directing effective treatment to the right individuals as early as possible.

2025

2026