Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 19, 5009, Bergen, Norway.
Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 5;11(1):5332. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-84122-y.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis are chronic inflammatory diseases with several pathogenic pathways in common. Evidence supports an association between the diseases, but the exact underlying mechanisms behind the connection are still under investigation. Lipid, fatty acid (FA) and metabolic profile alterations have been associated with several chronic inflammatory diseases, including RA and periodontitis. Mitochondria have a central role in regulating cellular bioenergetic and whole-body metabolic homeostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction has been proposed as a possible link between the two disorders. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore whole-blood FA, serum lipid composition, and carnitine- and choline derivatives in 78 RA outpatients with different degrees of periodontal inflammation. The main findings were alterations in lipid, FA, and carnitine- and choline derivative profiles. More specifically, higher total FA and total cholesterol concentrations were found in active RA. Elevated phospholipid concentrations with concomitant lower choline, elevated medium-chain acylcarnitines (MC-AC), and decreased ratios of MC-AC and long-chain (LC)-AC were associated with prednisolone medication. This may indicate an altered mitochondrial function in relation to the increased inflammatory status in RA disease. Our findings may support the need for interdisciplinary collaboration within the field of medicine and dentistry in patient stratification to improve personalized treatment. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to further assess the potential impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on RA and periodontitis.
类风湿关节炎（RA）和牙周炎是两种具有共同发病途径的慢性炎症性疾病。有证据表明这两种疾病之间存在关联，但疾病之间联系的确切潜在机制仍在研究中。脂质、脂肪酸（FA）和代谢谱的改变与几种慢性炎症性疾病有关，包括 RA 和牙周炎。线粒体在调节细胞生物能量和全身代谢稳态方面起着核心作用，线粒体功能障碍被认为是这两种疾病之间的一个可能联系。本横断面研究旨在探讨 78 例不同牙周炎炎症程度的 RA 门诊患者的全血 FA、血清脂质组成以及肉碱和胆碱衍生物。主要发现是脂质、FA 和肉碱和胆碱衍生物谱的改变。更具体地说，在活动性 RA 中发现总 FA 和总胆固醇浓度升高。升高的磷脂浓度伴随着胆碱升高、中链酰基肉碱（MC-AC）升高和长链（LC）-AC 与 MC-AC 比值降低与泼尼松龙药物有关。这可能表明与 RA 疾病中炎症状态增加相关的线粒体功能改变。我们的研究结果可能支持在医学和牙科领域内进行跨学科合作，以改善个性化治疗，对患者进行分层的必要性。应进行纵向研究，以进一步评估线粒体功能障碍对 RA 和牙周炎的潜在影响。
