Anti-TNF-alpha immunotherapy is associated with increased gingival inflammation without clinical attachment loss in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Because periodontitis presents many similarities with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with regard to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced bone resorption, the benefits of TNF-alpha blockade in RA prompted us to determine its efficacy in treating coexisting periodontitis.

Methods: Periodontal status was evaluated in 40 subjects with RA who were divided into two groups: Group I contained 20 subjects who had received infliximab every 6 weeks for > or =22 months at the time of periodontal evaluation. The 20 subjects in group II were evaluated before their first infusion with infliximab. Nine subjects in group II had periodontitis. These subjects were reevaluated after they received nine infusions of infliximab.

Results: Infliximab tended to aggravate gingival inflammation as indicated by differences in the modified gingival and papillary bleeding indices between subjects in groups I and II with coexisting periodontitis before and after treatment. Methotrexate had no effect on periodontal status. Although the plaque index revealed that bacterial infection persisted, the probing depth was equal in groups I and II and equivalent before and after treatment in subjects with periodontitis, whereas attachment loss was decreased after infliximab treatment.

Conclusions: Inflammation and destruction constitute two interrelated yet separate components of periodontitis in patients with RA. Therefore, TNF-alpha blockade could be beneficial in the treatment of periodontitis.