RA sufferers walking around with Dipitheria

Hi . I can't say I've come across any in the community mentioning corynebacterium diphtheriae. I know that some have experienced oral thrush or candidiasis, which often has white spots in the mouth and possibly throat (see: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oral-thrush/symptoms-causes/syc-20353533). This article discusses the relationship to RA: https://openrheumatologyjournal.com/VOLUME/17/ELOCATOR/e18743129259550/FULLTEXT/. Also, here is an Forum discussion on sore throat issues: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/swollen-glands-sore-throat.

Concerning headache, this is not uncommon in the community. Is there a chance your mouth/throat and headache issues may be separate (even if related to RA)? Here is another Forum discussion - this one on headache: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/headche-problem-in-ra. Hope this information is helpful and that others chime in with their thoughts. Best, Richard (Team Member)

This is nothing new. Corynebacterium diphtheriae leads to septic arthritis and this is the only thing that fits. I can trace the whole sorry episode back to the foreign anaesthetist and all the symptoms, plus the Diptheria patch in the throat that no-one would diagnose. Turned up in A&E and all the doctors shrugged and googled. And now the septic arthritis which is definitely an infectious agent - probably Diptheria. So it would be useful to know if anyone has any white spots or patches on their tonsils or anywhere in their throat and how common this is. There are some articles about Corynebacterium spp. and RA

Abstract
The failure to isolate conventional mycoplasmas from 88 synovial membranes and 119 synovial fluids from patients with proven rheumatoid arthritis using a variety of culture media and techniques agrees with the results of recent workers and suggests that these organisms are unlikely to play a role in the aetiology of the disease. In contrast, 'diphtheroid' organisms were isolated from 27 to 30% of rheumatoid specimens, but not from cultures of non-rheumatoid material. A significantly higher incidence of raised agglutination titres to C. acnes and to a 'diptheroid' isolated from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis supports the conclusion that these organisms are present in the joints in such patients, though their role in this disease has yet to be established.



Corynebacterium acnes in rheumatoid arthritis. II. Identification of antigen in synovial fluid leucocytes.
Bartholomew LE, Nelson FR.
Ann Rheum Dis. 1972 Jan;31(1):28-33. doi: 10.1136/ard.31.1.28.
PMID: 4621489Free PMC article.No abstract available.
Isolation of diphtheroid bacilli from synovial membrane and fluid in rheumatoid arthritis.
Stewart SM, Alexander WR, Duthie JJ.
Ann Rheum Dis. 1969 Sep;28(5):477-87. doi: 10.1136/ard.28.5.477.
PMID: 5346340Free PMC article.No abstract available.
Mycoplasmas and 'diphtheroids' in rheumatoid arthritis.
Stewart SM, McBride WH.
Rheumatology. 1975;6:329-37.
PMID: 1202604
Rheumatoid arthritis. Aetiology.
Denman AM.
Br Med J. 1970 Dec 5;4(5735):601-2. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5735.601.
PMID: 4922095Free PMC article.Review.No abstract available.
Evidence for an infectious etiology of rheumatoid arthritis.
Hamerman D.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Jun 13;256:25-38. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb36033.x.
PMID: 808992Review.No abstract available.