The purpose of this study is to determine whether full mouth disinfection in combination with one week antibiotic amoxicillin plus metronidazole antibiotic therapy is improving periodontitis and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a currently incurable disease of unknown origin characterized by joint inflammation and the breakdown of immune tolerance to a variety of antigens, including citrullinated peptides generated by peptidyl-arginine-deiminases (PAD's). Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. g.) derived PAD enzyme (PPAD) citrullinates preferentially C-terminal arginine residues, which may be generated by P.g. derived gingipain protein (Rgpb) cleavage, but several of the originated peptide sequences from enolase, collagen, vimentin or fibrinogen may be cross-reactant to citrullinated RA candidate autoantigens. Antigen-specific autoantibodies in RA may be present years before clinical disease onset of arthritis, and their precise role in the initiation or perpetuation of the characteristic articular immune processes is currently unclear. The situation for autoantibodies was in similar poorly understood for decades until an unanticipated reduction of RA disease activity could be achieved by therapeutic B cell depletion using anti-CD20 therapy. While anti-CD20 therapy may affect the regeneration of autoantibody producing cells, the investigators aim in the present study to reduce potential oral trigger mechanisms or antigens for cross-reactant autoreactive B cell or plasma cell populations. The study follows the concept of improved RA disease activity by minimization of any inflammatory stimuli associated with periodontitis, e.g. by any underlying microbial colonization, the amount of microbial foreign antigens, achieved by standard oral hygienic means, full mouth disinfection plus adjuvant short term antibiotic therapy in established periodontitis.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
8
Inselspital, Department for Rheumatology, and Dpt. For Periodontology, School for Dentistry, University of Bern
Bern, Switzerland
Improvement in the rheumatoid arthritis disease activity index (DAS28ESR-3v) by >=1.2 points
The DAS28 will be used using 3 variables with 3rd variable erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Time frame: 3 months
Improvement in the rheumatoid arthritis disease activity score (DAS28ESR-3v) by >=1.2 points
Time frame: At 6 months
Improvement in the rheumatoid arthritis disease activity score when with 3rd variable C reactive protein serum concentration (DAS28CRP-3v) by >=1.2 points
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Improvement in the clinical disease activity index cDAI
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Improvement in the simplified disease activity index cDAI
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Number of patients with 20%, 50% or 70% improvement in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response criteria
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Number of patients in ACR/EULAR remission
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
% change of B-mode (= gray-scale) and Power-Doppler signals to baseline
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Reduction in the probing pocket depth (PPD) in moderately deep (PPD >/= 4mm) und deep periodontal pockets (PPD > 6mm)
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Improvement in clinical attachment level (CAL), as the sum of PPD plus gingival recession (GR)
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Time frame: After 3 and 6 months
Reduction in the number of sites with bleeding on probing (BoP)
Time frame: After 3 and 6 months