Journal Article

Association between severity of periodontitis and clinical activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a case–control study

Rodríguez-Lozano, Beatriz, Garnier-Rodríguez, Jorge Luis, Sánchez-Alonso, Fernando, Díaz-González, Federico, Bustabad-Reyes, Sagrario, Sánchez-Piedra, Carlos, González-Dávila, Enrique, Sanz, Mariano, Dadlani, Shashi, González-Febles, Jerián

2019

Overview

Background A high prevalence of periodontitis has been reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, although the strength of this association, its temporal link and the possible relationship between the severity of periodontitis and RA disease activity remain unclear. The objective of this work was to investigate whether periodontitis is associated with RA and whether periodontitis severity is linked to RA disease activity. Methods This case–control study included 187 patients diagnosed with RA and 157 control patients without inflammatory joint disease. RA disease activity and severity were evaluated by the Disease Activity Score 28, the Simplified Disease Activity Index, the Clinical Disease Activity Index, rheumatoid factor, anti-citrullinated protein antibody titers, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, presence of extra-articular manifestations and type of RA therapy. Exposure severity was assessed by the following periodontal parameters: plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment levels. Sociodemographic variables and comorbidities were evaluated as confounding variables. Outcome and exposure variables were compared by both parametric and nonparametric tests, and possible associations were assessed through regression analysis with a calculation for the adjusted odds ratio (OR). Results A significant association was demonstrated between periodontitis and RA with an adjusted OR of 20.57 (95% CI 6.02–70.27, p  < 0.001). Compared with controls, all parameters related to periodontal status (plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment levels) were significantly worse in RA patients ( p  < 0.001). Periodontitis severity was significantly associated with RA disease activity ( p  < 0.001), showing in an ordinal logistic regression model an association between periodontal severity and disease activity with an adjusted OR of 2.66 (95% CI 1.24–5.74, p  = 0.012). Conclusion A significant association was demonstrated between periodontitis and RA, independent of other confounders. This association was more evident in patients with pronounced periodontal disease and higher RA disease activity.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Aged / Analysis / Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies - blood / Antibiotics / Antibodies / Arthritis / Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood / Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications / Arthritis, Rheumatoid - therapy / Blood Sedimentation / Blood tests / C-reactive protein / C-Reactive Protein - analysis / Care and treatment / Case studies / Case-Control Studies / Causes of / Chronic illnesses / Comorbidity / Diabetes / Disease activity / Erythrocyte sedimentation rate / Female / Gum disease / Health risk assessment / Humans / Immunoglobulins / Immunotherapy / Male / Medical research / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Odds Ratio / Orthopedics / Outcome Assessment, Health Care - methods / Outcome Assessment, Health Care - statistics & numerical data / Periodontal Index / Periodontitis / Periodontitis - blood / Periodontitis - complications / Periodontitis - therapy / Proteins / Regression analysis / Research Article / Rheumatoid arthritis / Rheumatoid factor / Rheumatoid Factor - blood / Rheumatology / Risk factors / Severity of Illness Index / Smoking / Tumor necrosis factor-TNF