Scientists are claiming that brushing your teeth could help to prevent arthritis in later life. According to researchers at the University of Louisville’s School of Dentistry, in Kentucky, a link has been discovered between the bacterium responsible for gum disease and earlier onset of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as a faster progression and increased severity of the condition.
The bacterium produces an enzyme which reacts with certain proteins in the body, which are then recognised as intruders and the immune system attacks, leading to bone and cartilage deterioration at the joints. Previous studies revealed that gum disease is at least twice as common in patients that suffer with arthritis, indicating a link between the two conditions. The bacterium produces the enzyme peptidylarginine deiminanse (PAD) and researcher Dr Jan Potempa said that ‘our results suggest that bacterial PAD may constitute the mechanistic link between P. gingivalis periodontal infection and rheumatoid arthritis, but this ground-breaking conclusion will need to be verified with further research.’
Dr Potempa added that the results of the study, published in PLOS Pathogens, could help with research aimed at treatment and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis.
Other research has indicated that P. gingivalis infection can often precede rheumatoid arthritis and this particular bacterium can be blamed for the onset of the autoimmune response in the body, which occurs in patients who develop arthritis.
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