Rheumatoid Arthritis
There is an association between periodontitis and the development of RA in patients who are susceptible.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans can contribute to periodontitis by producing a toxin that can trigger hypercitrullination in neutrophils.
- Hypercitrullination can trigger the formation of autoantibodies.
- Treatment of periodontal disease in patients with RA has led to reductions in some markers of disease activity in RA patients (ESR, TNF-α titers, and disease activity scores).
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References
Abbasi, J. To Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis, Look Past the Joints to the Gums. JAMA. 2017; 317(12): 1201-1202.
Kaur S, Bright R, Proudman SM, Bartold PM. Does periodontal treatment influence clinical and biochemical measures for rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2014; 44(2): 113-122.