Ricerc@Sapienza

To explore the pathogenic association between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis focusing on the role of Porphyromonas gingivalis.RECENT FINDINGS: In the last decades our knowledge about the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis substantially changed. Several evidences demonstrated that the initial production of autoantibodies is not localized in the joint, rather in other immunological-active sites. A central role seems to be played by periodontal disease, in particular because of the ability of P.

OBJECTIVE: Several evidences suggested a link between human microbiome and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) development. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) seems involved in RA initiation and progression, as supported by the high occurrence of periodontitis. In this case-control study, we analyzed tongue P. gingivalis presence and quantification in a large healthy and RA cohort.