TAS2R38 and rheumatoid arthritis: Since periodontal disease, immune responses to oral pathogens, and autoimmunity can predate clinical RA [23], and since immune responses to oral pathogens associate with RA autoantibodies [24], we hypothesized that the greater innate immune response observed among people with the TAS2R38 PAV/PAV genotype could lead to dysbiosis affecting key oral microbes implicated in periodontal disease and RA pathogenesis.