Can Periodontal bacteria cause rheumatoid arthritis ?

Bacteria that colonize in periodontal pockets also may be involved in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This has found a team of researchers from Norway.

Many researchers are convinced that exist a compound between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). And in fact, studies show that people with periodontal disease have an eight-fold increased risk of developing RA. One study from Norway, which is funded by the EU, is currently looking for a relationship between gum diseases and joint diseases.

The team of researchers was able to show that the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, which colonized in the dental pockets in periodontal disease took a part in the formation of autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis.

Stronger joint could be destructed by bacteria.

The enzyme called Peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) converts the amino acid arginine in to citrulline, which is foreign to the human immune system. This can lead to formation of antibodies against citrullinated peptides, which in turn are a feature of RA. It was tested on the mouse. The researchers now know that those animals which had been previously infected with P. gingivalis, get development of joint destruction process more quickly than others mouse.The joint disease associated with the formation of antibodies against citrullinated peptides.

The results of the study suggest that infection P. gingivalis could be related with the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. If confirmed this thesis, a careful oral hygiene could be one of the building blocks of the future treatment of RA.

Bacteria from the mouth can spread throughout the body.

More and more studies show that periodontal disease often occurs together with other diseases such as diabetes or coronary heart disease. The exact relationships are not clear yet, but repeatedly found evidence that the bacteria involved in the development of gingivitis. Bacteria can invade in to the body and cause various disease processes. In addition, assumed that in the resulting of the test of periodontitis inflammatory factors researchers found some substance. This substance involved in the development of other diseases.