POS0581 PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: RESULTS FROM A COHORT AT TREATMENT WITH BIOLOGICAL, CLASSICAL AND TARGETED SYNTHETIC DMARDs
Authors: Dos-Santos R. , Otero F. , Perez-Pampín E. , Mera Varela A. 
Published: May 2021

Background:

Periodontal disease (PD) has been widely studied in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As well, its relationship with severity and disease activity, has also been investigated with ambiguous results. It has been suggested that the improvement of oral health could enhance disease activity scores.1 PD prevalence worldwide stands around 60% in older adults (>65 years) and its frequency increases with aging.2

Objectives:

To asses oral health in RA patients and to identify predictors of PD in this population.

Methods:

Patients diagnosed of RA at treatment with biological, classical or targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/cs/tsDMARDs) in the aforementioned hospital during 2020 performed a dental review with a specialized periodontal odontologist. Oral health patterns were given for all patients, following criteria of American Academy of Periodontology, and reevaluation of disease activity was made 2 months later.

Clinical, demographic and treatment data were collected from participants.

Univariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of PD. Variables with p<0.20 were selected for multivariable analysis.

Stata 15.1 was used to perform statistical analysis.

Results:

81 patients were recruited. 82.72% were female. Mean age was 56.17 years (SD 14.15) and mean time since diagnosis was 15.58 years (SD 8.17). 25% were current or past smokers. 21 patients had comorbidities (arterial hypertension the most frequent). 66.67% were rheumatoid factor (RF) positive and 72.73% anti-citrullinated peptide autoantibody (ACPA) positive. Median erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 12 mm (IQR 6;23) and mean C-reactive protein (CRP) was 0.48 mg/dl (SD 1.18). Mean disease activity score (DAS28-VSG) at the testing time was 2.62 (SD 1.21) and after 2 months was 2.39 (SD 0.97). 96.30% of patients were at treatment with csDMARDs, 64.20% with glucocorticoids, 96.30% with bDMARDs and 6 patients with tsDMARDs.

Univariable analysis identified higher age, at least one autoantibody positive and ESR/CRP as potential predictors of medium/severe PD (p<0.20). Multivariable testing including these variables pointed out higher age, lower ESR and at least one autoantibody positive (OR 1.09 [CI95% 1.04-1.14] p=0.001, OR 0.18 [CI95% 0.04-0.95] p=0.044 and OR 0.94 [CI95% 0.88-1.00] p=0.042, respectively) as predictors of medium or severe PD (≥3 mm interdental clinical attachment loss).

Univariable analysis identified higher age, the presence of any comorbidity and anti tumour-necrosis factor alpha treatment (anti-TNF) as potential predictors of severe PD (p<0.20). Multivariable testing including these variables pointed out higher age (OR 1.15 [CI95%1.02-1.30] p=0.026) as predictor of severe PD (≥5 mm interdental clinical attachment loss).

Conclusion:

Periodontal disease is still an extended health problem among the entire population. Its prevalence in RA is increased, therefore higher age and RF or ACPA positive are risk factors for developing severe PD. This analysis might suggest that an aggressive management of PD could implement better responses in DAS28. Also anti-TNF treatment could delimit a “penumbra” group of patients at risk of developing severe PD, where intensive manage could modify the final outcome.

References:

[1]C O Bingham, M Moni. Periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis: the evidence accumulates for complex pathobiologic interactions. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2013;25(3):345-353.

[2]P Carvajal. Periodontal disease as a public health problem: the challenge for primary health care. Rev Clin Periodoncia inplantol. 2016;9(2):177-183.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared