Etiopathogenic correlation between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis and chronic and aggressive periodontitis are chronic inflammatory disorders characterized by deregulation of the inflammatory response in an immunogenetically susceptible host. Increased secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators results in tissue destruction of the synovium and periodontium respectively. Both diseases share risk factors and have pathological pathways in common, resulting in loss of function and disability as a final clinical outcome. This article discusses possible interactions, particularly related to the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, which could explain the observed association between these two widely prevalent diseases in the context of recent discoveries.