Gut microbiota dysbiosis and joint diseases: advances in the gut-joint axis.

In recent years, the proposal of the "gut-joint axis" concept has provided a new perspective for understanding joint diseases. Research indicates that gut dysbiosis can drive the onset and progression of various joint diseases, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and gouty arthritis, through multiple pathways such as mediating systemic immune inflammation, disrupting metabolic homeostasis, and increasing intestinal permeability. This article systematically reviews the impact of specific alterations in the gut microbiota on different joint diseases and their underlying mechanisms, summarizes these shared and disease-specific mechanisms, and discusses novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiota, aiming to open new avenues for the prevention and treatment of joint diseases.