INFLUENCE OF PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS ON CLINIMETRIC AND THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: A GLIMPSE INTO THE TONGUE MICROBIOME

Objective Periodontitis can impact on a wide range of pathological conditions, including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Porphyromonas gingivalis is the major bacterium responsible in periodontitis and it may even be involved in RA initiation and progression. In the present case-control study, we first aimed at assessing the prevalence of P. gingivalis in a cohort of patients with RA, by analyzing tongue biofilm, and then relating the presence and the quantification of the bacterium with disease activity (DAS28) and frequency of anti-rheumatic drugs. Methods We enrolled 143 RA patients (M/F 32/111) and 36 periodontal patients (M/F 11/25) as controls. All subjects underwent a standard cytologic swab to identify the presence of P. gingivalis by using real-time PCR. Results The prevalence of P. gingivalis in RA group overlapped with that one observed in periodontal patients. The presence of the bacterium in the tongue biofilm was associated with the severe class of DAS28 and a higher frequency of anti-rheumatic drugs. Furthermore, the percentage of P. gingivalis on the total tongue biofilm positively correlated with DAS28 values (r=0.4, P=0.01). Conclusions We demonstrated a significant association between P. gingivalis and RA, both as regards the disease activity grade (DAS28) and the use of anti-rheumatic drugs, suggesting that P. gingivalis could play a role in the pathogenic mechanisms of RA.