scholarly journals Tooth Loss Is Associated with Disease-Related Parameters in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis—A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 3052
Author(s):  
Gerhard Schmalz ◽  
Markus Bartl ◽  
Jan Schmickler ◽  
Susann Patschan ◽  
Daniel Patschan ◽  
...  

Background: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate potential associations between periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) and tooth loss with disease-related parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Patients who attended the Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Goettingen, Germany, were included. The oral examination comprised the detection of the number of remaining teeth and periodontal condition based on staging and grading matrix. Based on periodontal pockets with positive bleeding on probing, the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) was determined. Disease related parameters were extracted from the patients’ records. Results: In total, 101 (RA) and 32 participants (AS) were included. Patients with RA had 22.85 ± 4.26 and AS patients 24.34 ± 5.47 remaining teeth (p < 0.01). Periodontitis stage III and IV was present in 91% (RA) and 81.2% (AS) of patients (p = 0.04). Associations between PISA and disease-related parameters were not found in both groups (p > 0.05). In RA, a higher age (p < 0.01), C-reactive protein (p = 0.02), disease activity (p < 0.01) and prednisolone intake (p < 0.01) were associated with fewer remaining teeth. In AS, a higher age (p = 0.02) and increased Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (p = 0.02) were associated with a lower number of remaining teeth. Conclusions: Tooth loss is associated with disease activity, especially in RA individuals. Dental care to prevent tooth loss might be recommendable to positively influence oral health condition and disease activity in RA and SA patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman A. Baraka ◽  
Mona G. Balata ◽  
Shereen H. Ahmed ◽  
Afaf F. Khamis ◽  
Enas A. Elattar

Abstract Background This study aimed to measure the serum and synovial interleukin (IL)-37 levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared to patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (PKOA) and healthy controls and to detect its relation to RA disease activity. Results This cross-sectional study included 50 RA patients with a mean age of 40.24 ± 8.62 years, 50 patients with PKOA with a mean age of 56.69 ± 4.21, and 40 healthy controls with a mean age of 41.75 ± 7.38 years. The mean serum IL-37 level in the RA patients (382.6 ± 73.97 pg/ml) was statistically significantly (P < 0.001) the highest among the studied groups; however, it showed a non-significant difference between the PKOA patients (70.38 ± 27.49 pg/ml) and the healthy controls (69.97 ± 25.12 pg/ml) (P > 0.94). Both serum and synovial IL-37 levels were significantly positively correlated with disease activity scores (r = 0.92, P< 0.001 and r = 0.85, P < 0.001), tender joint counts (r = 0.83, P < 0.001 and r = 0.82, P < 0.001 ), swollen joint counts (r = 0.72, P < 0.001 and r = 0.60, P < 0.001), visual analog scale (r = 0.82, P < 0.001 and r = 0.82, P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.75, P < 0.001 and r = 0.65, P < 0.001), and C-reactive protein (r = 0.93, P < 0.001 and r = 0.79, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion Serum and synovial IL-37 were significantly elevated in the RA patients, and they were closely correlated. Being less invasive, the serum IL-37 could be a marker of disease activity and could reflect the effective disease control by drugs. Having an anti-inflammatory effect could not suggest IL-37 as the key player to control inflammation alone, but its combination with other anti-proinflammatory cytokines could be investigated.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e028966
Author(s):  
Ming-Chi Lu ◽  
Kuang-Yung Huang ◽  
Chien-Hsueh Tung ◽  
Bao-Bao Hsu ◽  
Cheng-Han Wu ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the factors associated with disease-specific quality of life in Taiwanese patients with ankylosing spondylitis.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingA regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan.ParticipantsAdult patients with ankylosing spondylitis recruited from the outpatient rheumatology clinics of the study hospital.Primary outcome measureDisease-specific quality of life assessed by the Evaluation of Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (EASi-QoL).ResultsOf the 265 patients, 57% were 20–49 years of age, with a male preponderance (75.5%). Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis indicated that a higher disease activity, assessed by the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score, was significantly and independently associated with a lower quality of life in all four domains (physical function, disease activity, emotional well-being and social participation) of the EASi-QoL. In addition, various independent factors, including educational level, nature of occupation, disease duration, dietary habit and body mass index, were significantly associated with different domains of the EASi-QoL.ConclusionsOur findings indicated that, in addition to disease activity and perceived health status, a number of other factors could significantly impact the different aspects of quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, which warrant special consideration and support from healthcare providers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
K. M. Prabhuswamy ◽  
M. Virgin Joena

Background: IMT assessment as a non-invasive imaging test is quite widely used especially among RA patients, the clinical applications of using such knowledge is scarce, hence study was conducted to compare the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with healthy controls also to study the correlation between duration of rheumatoid arthritis, the activity of rheumatoid arthritis and other factors influencing (CIMT).Methods: In analytical cross-sectional study, of 80 participants of RA and 40 healthy controls, “DAS28” was used to assess disease activity.  Carotid intima-media thickness assessed using carotid ultrasonography.Results: Mean age of the cases and controls was 43.9 and 44.38 years. Subjects with duration of disease <2 years, to 5 years and >5 years were 35%, 45% and 20%. The mean carotid intima-media thickness was 5.61mm in controls, and CIMT was 6.11mm in people below 2 years and 7.08 mm in people between 2 to 5 years and 8.00mm in people above 5 years which was statistically significant. The mean carotid intima-media thickness was 5.61mm controls and 6.86mm in people with low, 7.00mm in people with moderate and 6.95mm in people with high disease activity, which was statistically significant.Conclusions: Study findings revealed risk of increase in carotid intima-media thickness higher among RA patients in the later stages and can increase the patients’ susceptibility to cardiovascular events. The factors showing strong association with intimal medial thickness were the age and symptoms duration.


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