Researchers in the lab of Robert B. Darnell of Rockefeller University in the United States have found that bleeding gums may be the cause of rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. To work published In the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine.
During longitudinal observations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, scientists noted that in people with gingivitis, the body responds worse to the treatment of an autoimmune disease. Apparently, bacteria seep through mouth sores into the bloodstream, thereby activating an immune response to the body’s own proteins. As a result of this reaction, arthritis flares occur.
The blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis typically contains antibodies that target proteins with signs of citrullination, the process by which one amino acid in one protein is converted to another (arginine citrulline), according to the study’s authors.
Further examination of blood samples from patients with bleeding gums showed that oral bacteria underwent a very similar reaction to protein citrullination.
It seems that the same antibodies that attack the body’s citrulline proteins are activated in response to bacteria with citrulline, greatly reducing the effectiveness of arthritis treatments.
The results of the study helped explain why rheumatoid arthritis treatment failed in patients with gum disease. Treatment of an autoimmune disease becomes very ineffective if the gums are constantly releasing immune triggers into the bloodstream.