Effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective before and after study.

Background: periodontal therapy has been suggested to have systemic effects. However, studies of periodontal therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients have produced controversial results.
Aim: To compare the effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on biochemical markers of rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal parameters in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods: a prospective before-and-after study was conducted that included 21 participants without and 29 participants with rheumatoid arthritis. Periodontal parameters, Porphyromonas gingivalis detection, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies were measured at baseline and three months after nonsurgical periodontal therapy and the changes were statistically assessed.
Results: In general, both groups presented statistically significant improvement in periodontal parameters ( p <0.05). There was an increase in the counts of P. gingivalis in both groups at three months. In addition, there was a reduction in levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factor in participants with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, C-reactive protein levels increased in both groups but were higher in the rheumatoid arthritis group. Periodontal parameters in rheumatoid arthritis participants under disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs presented a slightly higher improvement ( p <0.05).
Conclusions: Nonsurgical periodontal therapy has similar improvements in periodontal parameters in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, nonsurgical periodontal therapy may benefit serum levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. NCT04658615.
Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: Dr. Botero received a grant from Universidad de Antioquia. Authors declared that they have no conflict of interests.
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