Expression of rheumatoid arthritis markers in normal and inflamed gingival tissues.

Abstract

Chronic periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are common inflammatory diseases of complex aetiology. Various research groups have investigated a possible relationship between the two diseases, and whilst evidence of a link is emerging, the number of studies investigating this link is still relatively small. Several antibodies have been identified as markers for rheumatoid arthritis, and diagnostic tests are available to test for these markers in blood serum. Whilst studies have investigated a possible link between these diseases by correlating clinical parameters, relatively few studies have measured RA markers in periodontitis patients. Even fewer have investigated the presence/expression of RA markers in the periodontal tissues, and in these studies, thus far only rheumatoid factor (RF) has been studied.