Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients and Porphyromonas Gingivalis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most frequent joint inflammatory disease inducing joint destruction strongly correlated with anti-citrullinated protein antibodies citrullinated anti-peptide (ACPA). Precise RA etiology remained unclear with a described association between RA and periodontal disease. The missing link could be a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium called Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), which is heavily involved in periodontal disease and able to induce gingival citrullinated protein via an enzyme called peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD). DNA of P. gingivalis was detected in synovial tissue and in peripheral blood mononuclear cell. To improve knowledge of P. gingivalis involvement in RA, the investigators will compare its effect on various cell type with comparison with another oral bacteria Provatella intermedia.