Page 87 - SPONDYLOARTHRITIS IN COLOMBIA -

INTRODUCTION
Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease presenting with axial (axSpA) and peripheral (pSpA) manifestations 1. This condition that is characterized by inflammation of the spine and peripheral joints has been associated with other inflammatory diseases such as uveitis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease 2, 3. Chronic periodontitis is a common worldwide and chronic inflammatory condition characterized by progressive destruction of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone 4.
Results from studies point towards a potential relationship between periodontitis and systemic rheumatic diseases, in particular rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 5. Studies have found that the presence of RA has been associated with an increased prevalence of periodontitis and also with a significant inflammatory periodontal involvement in early-disease 6, 7. Periodontitis has been considered as a condition that influences the risk of developing RA in first-degree relatives 8. Moreover, important mechanisms that characterize the pathogenesis of RA are also involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis 9. Many studies have suggested that extra-articular citrullination is an immunological event that may occur in periodontal tissue under inflammatory conditions 10. Following this reasoning, the citrullination and the induction of anti-citrullinated peptide-antibodies (ACPAs) has emerged as a biochemical-process that may initiate the cascade of events leading to inflammation in RA 11.
Knowledge of the existence of an epidemiological association between SpA and periodontitis may fuel pathophysiological thinking about SpA and if established, have clinical implications. Currently, it is unclear whether SpA patients have a higher frequency of periodontitis and data in the literature reporting a possible association is limited. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the frequency and severity of periodontitis in SpA-patients with age/gender matched healthy- individuals, through the evaluation of the clinical, serological and microbiological periodontal condition.
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