RESEARCH - RA and salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease

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J Clin Periodontol. 2010 Dec;37(12):1068-74. doi:

10.1111/j.1600-051X.2010.01625.x. Epub 2010 Sep 28.

Rheumatoid arthritis and salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease.

Mirrielees J, Crofford LJ, Lin Y, Kryscio RJ, Dawson DR 3rd, Ebersole

JL, CS.

Department of Oral Health Practice, Center for Oral Health Research,

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.

Abstract

AIM: To test the hypothesis that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) influenced

levels of salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease.

METHODS: Medical assessments, periodontal examinations and pain

ratings were obtained from 35 RA, 35 chronic periodontitis and 35 age-

and gender-matched healthy controls in a cross-sectional,

case-controlled study. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were analysed

for interleukin-1â (IL-1â), matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) and

tumour necrosis factor-á (TNF-á) concentrations.

RESULTS: The arthritis and healthy groups had significantly less oral

disease than the periodontitis group (P<0.0001), with the arthritis

group having significantly more sites bleeding on probing (BOP) than

matched controls (P=0.012). Salivary levels of MMP-8 and IL-1â were

significantly elevated in the periodontal disease group (P<0.002), and

IL-1â was the only biomarker with significantly higher levels in the

arthritis group compared with controls (P=0.002). Arthritis patients

receiving anti-TNF-á antibody therapy had significantly lower IL-1â

and TNF-á levels compared with arthritis patients not on anti-TNF-á

therapy (P=0.016, 0.024) and healthy controls (P<0.001, P=0.011),

respectively.

CONCLUSION: RA patients have higher levels of periodontal inflammation

than healthy controls, i.e., an increased BOP. Systemic inflammation

appears to influence levels of select salivary biomarkers of

periodontal disease, and anti-TNF-á antibody-based disease-modifying

therapy significantly lowers salivary IL-1â and TNF-á levels in RA.

PMID: 20880053

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20880053

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