Relationship between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis in Vietnamese patients

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to survey periodontal status of Vietnamese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and investigates the association between periodontitis and RA in these patients.

Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study on 150 RA patients and another 150 patients with osteoarthritis (OA). RA was evaluated using the DAS28 disease activity score based on C-reactive protein levels (DAS28-CRP), disease activity classification, and serum levels of RA biomarkers. Periodontal status was determined using periodontal indices.

Results: The proportion of periodontitis cases in the RA group was significantly higher than the OA group (67 and 28%, respectively). The rate of severe periodontitis observed in the RA group was also significantly higher than that in the OA group (22.7 and 8%, respectively). RA patients with periodontitis had higher DAS28-CRP scores, disease activity levels, ACPA positivity and higher serum levels of CRP and ACPAs. Periodontitis is associated with an increased risk for RA (odds ratio [OR]: 5.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.14 − 8.41) and with higher disease activity classification (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.14 − 6.42).

Conclusions: Vietnamese RA patients often presented with a more serious periodontal condition than OA patients. We observed an association between periodontal disease (PD) status and clinic symptoms and biochemical/immunological characteristics of RA.

Keywords:

• periodontitis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• periodontal-systemic disease interactions
• disease activity score 28 based on C-reactive protein level (DAS28-CRP)
• anti-citrullinated protein autoantibodies (ACPAs)

Acknowledgements

We thank the Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and the Department of Rheumatology, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam for supporting this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Informed consent

Signed informed consents were obtained from all participants before inclusion.

Author contributions

Study conception and design: V.B.N, T.T.N, N.C-N.H, T.A.L, H.T.H; acquisition of data: V.B.N, T.T.N; analysis and interpretation of data: V.B.N, N.C-N.H, T.A.L, H.T.H; drafting of manuscript: V.B.N, T.T.N, N.C-N.H; critical revision: V.B.N, T.T.N, N.C-N.H, T.A.L, H.T.H.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed in this study are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.