ASSOCIATION OF PERIODONTITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS BIOMARKER ANTI-CYCLIC CITRULLINATED PEPTIDES/PROTEINS

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic multi-system disease that causes damage to bone and joint connective tissues. Periodontitis (PD) is an infectious disease and a leading cause of chronic periodontal inflammation in which microbial plaque causes damage to alveolar bone and surrounding connective tissue which leads to loss of tooth. Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (Anti-CCP) antibodies are potentially important substitute markers for diagnosis and prognosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to determine the possible relationship of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Periodontitis with the help of Biomarker Anti-CCP. Methods: Total 120 individuals were recruited for this study and were equally divided into 4 groups: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Periodontitis (P), Rheumatoid Arthritis with Periodontitis (RAP) and Healthy controls (C). Oral examinations were done for all patients prior to the sampling. Patients’ serum sample was analysed for the selected biomarker (serum anti-CCP) by using anti-CCP ELISA IgG kit. Patients were recruited from both in-patients and out-patients departments of Ghurki Trust Hospital, Lahore. For healthy controls, individuals with no history of RA and Periodontitis or any other systemic illness were included in this study. Results: In RA and RAP group mean anti-CCP level was quite high as compared to that of C and P group respectively. But no statistically significant differences were observed between anti-CCP level in RA and RAP groups.