RE: RESEARCH - Corneal involvement in RA: an in vivo confocal study

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I was wondering what you know about Root Canal

bacteria and RA? I have been doing some research on

it, and it sounds interesting. Do you know anything

about it?

Thanks,

Janet

---

<Rheumatoid.Arthritis.Support@...> wrote:

> Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Feb;49(2):560-4.

>

>

> Corneal involvement in rheumatoid arthritis: an in

> vivo confocal study.

>

>

> Villani E, Galimberti D, Viola F, Mapelli C, Del

> Papa N, Ratiglia R.

> Clinica Oculistica Università degli Studi di Milano,

> Fondazione

> Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina

> Elena, IRCCS

> (Istituto Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico),

> Milan, Italy.

>

>

> PURPOSE: To analyze the in vivo morphology of

> corneal cells and nerves

> in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with or

> without secondary

> Sjögren's syndrome (SSII), and to investigate the

> correlations between

> corneal alterations and RA activity. METHODS: Fifty

> patients with RA

> and 30 age- and gender-matched control subjects were

> studied. SSII was

> diagnosed according to the American-European

> Consensus Group criteria,

> and RA activity was evaluated by the Lansbury index

> (LI). Confocal

> microscopy was used to investigate corneal

> thickness, the number of

> epithelial and stromal cells, and keratocyte

> hyperreflectivity. In

> addition, the sub-basal plexus was assessed for the

> number,

> tortuosity, and reflectivity of the nerve fibers and

> the presence of

> beadlike formations. RESULTS: Sixteen percent of

> patients with RA also

> had SSII. Between the SSII and non-SSII groups, no

> significant

> differences were found in the LI or in the clinical

> and confocal

> variables. Significant differences were present

> between patients with

> RA and control subjects for all the variables

> studied except nerve

> reflectivity. In patients with RA with and without

> SSII, LI correlated

> significantly with the number of beadlike formations

> and the number of

> hyperreflective, activated keratocytes.

>

> CONCLUSIONS: Confocal microscopy of patients with RA

> showed several

> changes in corneal cells and nerves. The number of

> beadlike formations

> and the number of activated keratocytes could be

> interpreted as

> confocal signs of ocular surface disease activity.

> These correlations

> with the index of systemic disease activity, LI, may

> provide insight

> regarding the pathogenic mechanisms of dry eye in

> patients with RA.

>

>

> PMID: 18234999

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18234999

>

>

> --

>

> Not an MD

>

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[Guest guest]

Janet,

I've read quite a few articles on root canal procedures and their possible

impact on general health. I don't believe there is enough hard evidence to

establish a definite link to RA.

Not an MD

> Re: [ ] RESEARCH - Corneal involvement in RA: an in vivo

> confocal study

>

> Hi ,

>

> I was wondering what you know about Root Canal

> bacteria and RA? I have been doing some research on

> it, and it sounds interesting. Do you know anything

> about it?

>

> Thanks,

> Janet