Summary of Taking Care of Your Teeth Could Help Prevent Chronic Joint Pain:
Researchers have found a link between arthritis flare-ups and periodontitis by tracing bacteria associated with gum disease. The samples collected from rheumatoid arthritis patients showed the presence of bacteria linked to periodontal disease. Researchers believe this could lead to the development of therapies for autoimmune inflammatory disease. Regular dental check-ups could potentially help alleviate joint pain. The study could be helpful in other disease contexts, such as cancer. The approach could help clinicians and experimental scientists prioritize hypotheses to test.
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Researchers Discover Connection Between Arthritis and Periodontitis
Researchers at Rice University have discovered a connection between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease through the presence of bacteria associated with gum disease in samples taken from arthritis patients. This breakthrough could lead to developing therapies for autoimmune inflammatory disease.
Regular Dental Check-Ups for Joint Pain Prevention?
The chronic pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis can lead to heart-, lung-, and eye problems. Thus, by establishing a correlation between arthritis flare-ups and periodontitis, scientists can potentially develop treatments that combat both conditions. The research was conducted by Vicky Yao, a computational biologist from Rice University, using data gathered by Dana Orange, a rheumatologist and associate professor of clinical investigation, and Bob Darnell, an attending physician at Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Data Analysis Shows Meaningful Information in Ignored Data
Using discarded data, Yao discovered concentrations of germs in the samples consistent across patients, leading to a deeper understanding of the human biome. This approach has helped identify other microbial and viral signatures associated with cancer, which could directly benefit the diagnosis and treatment of specific cancer types.
HPV and Cervical Cancer
Research showed that certain cancers are associated with pathogens like human papillomavirus (HPV). Yao used this well-documented connection to verify her approach, in which computational analysis helps to interpret data and prioritize hypotheses for clinicians and experimental scientists to test.
Study Funded by Significant Grant Offers
The research was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Bernard and Irene Schwartz Foundation, among others. By determining the connection between arthritis and periodontitis, the study will potentially have far-reaching results that could advance medical understanding of other autoimmune conditions such as cancer. Regular check-ups by dentists and rheumatologist visits could help prevent some chronic pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
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