Porphyromonas Gingivalis-Induced Periodontitis and its Contribution to Rheumatoid Arthritis Autoimmunity

[摘要] Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gum and bone surrounding the teeth caused by bacterial infections. One of the bacteriafrequently found in periodontitis is Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). On the other hand, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronicautoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation and joint destruction. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between RA andperiodontitis, particularly P. gingivalis periodontitis. The correlation between periodontitis and RA is thought to be due to molecularmimicry, where bacterial proteins from P. gingivalis share similar epitopes with human proteins, particularly citrullinated peptides.Citrullination is a post-translational modification where the amino acid arginine is converted to citrulline. This modification can lead to thegeneration of citrullinated peptides that can be recognized as non-self by the immune system and trigger an autoimmune response. P.gingivalis has been shown to possess enzymes capable of citrullinating peptides, leading to the generation of Citrullinated Bacterial Peptides(CBPs) that can be recognized by RA-specific autoantibodies.

[学科分类] 药理学