Intestinal microbiocenosis in the obese patients with osteoarthritis

Specific features of colonic microbiocenosis were investigated in 64 patients presenting with osteoarthritis. They were divided into 4 groups including patients with the normal body weights and those with grade I, II, and III obesity respectively. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of intestinal microflora was performed by the bacteriological method. It was shown that obesity was associated with an increased frequency of isolation of enterococci despite their decreased content. Simultaneously, variations in the diversity of opportunistic microorganisms were documented. Alterations in the qualitative and quantitative composition of intestinal microbiocenosis in the patients with osteoarthrosis depended on the degree of obesity. Grade III obesity was associated with the most pronounced decrease in the occurrence of bacteroids, entercococci, and lactose-positive coliform bacteria. It is concluded that the development of dysbiosis in the large intestine should be taken into consideration in the choice of combined therapeutic strategy for the treatment of the patients with osteoarthritis and concomitant obesity of different severity.