Localisation of citrullinated and carbamylated proteins in inflamed gingival tissues from rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objectives: It has been proposed that citrullination and carbamylation occur in the inflamed periodontium and could be the plausible mechanisms for the generation of antigens involved in the development and progression of RA. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence and location of citrullinated and carbamylated proteins in the gingival tissues and compare their abundance in periodontitis (PD) patients with or without RA.

Materials And Methods: Gingival tissue samples of healthy (n = 5), PD with RA (n = 5) and PD without RA (n = 5) were collected.

Potential mechanisms linking periodontitis to rheumatoid arthritis.

Periodontitis (PD), a chronic inflammatory disease which results in irreversible attachment loss, bone destruction and tooth loss, is a major oral health problem. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with a global prevalence of 1%, is an autoimmune disease characterized as a chronic inflammatory disorder leading to synovial inflammation and destruction of cartilage and bone. Studies have reported an association between PD and RA whereby PD is reportedly more severe in patients with established RA.