PReS-FINAL-2074: The role of the probiotic VSL-3 as adjuvant therapy in patients with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (ERA)

Calprotectin is a neutrophil derived protein that binds calcium and belongs to the S100 family. It can be quantified in feces and has become established as a marker of gut inflammation, where increased levels are a direct result of neutrophil migration into the gut lumen across the inflamed mucosa. Since subclinical gut inflammation is present in the majority of adult and pediatric spondyloarthritis patients, fecal calprotectin (fcal) is emerging as possible noninvasive biomarker. There is strong evidence supporting the role of the VSL-3 probiotic in decreasing fcal, thus promoting and maintaining remission in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but very little is known of its potential effects on disease activity in children with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (ERA).