PERIODONTAL CONDITIONS IN JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS

Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal → June 2003 → Miscellaneous Topics→ Abstract #84

PERIODONTAL CONDITIONS IN JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS (JIA) PATIENTS

L. A. Miranda,^1,2 C. M. Figueiredo,² F. R. Sztajnbok,³ A. Fonseca,³ L. Campos,³ R. G. Fischer,² A. Gustafsson.¹

¹Institute of Odontology, Division of Periodontology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; ²Graduate Program in Periodontology, Dental School, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; ³Adolescent Health Care Unit, Rheumatology Section, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The aim of this exploratory cross-sectional study was to evaluate the periodontal conditions of JIA patients in comparison to a control group (CTR) of systemically healthy patients. 24 JIA patients and 19 controls attending a pediatric rheumatology and a general adolescent care clinic, respectively,in the Adolescent Health Care Unit (NESA-UERJ) were selected. Measures of periodontal disease included plaque and bleeding scores, probing depths (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Measures of JIA included pain, tender and swollen joint analysis and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Mann-Whitney test was applied(a=0,05). The mean age of the groups was 16,3(+2,7) years for JIA and 15,1(+2,6) for CTR. In the moment of the periodontal exam, 62.5% of the subjects were considered with active JIA (ESR above 20mm/h). The median ESR was 42 mm/hour for JRA group and 13 mm/h for CTR group(p=0,032). The mean percentage of visible plaque and bleeding was not statistically different between groups JIA(53,4+ 22,7 and 28,9+ 16,9 respectively) and CTR(44,5+ 19,5 e 27,6+ 11,1, respectively). The mean percentage of sites with PD 4mm was significantly higher in the JIA group(3,6%+5,0) than in the CTR group(0,5%+ 1,5)(p=0.014). The mean percentage of sites with proximal CAL 2mm was 0.92%(+1,48) to JIA and 0.06%(+0,27) to CTR(p=0.025). It can be concluded that in adolescents with JIA, in spite of presenting plaque and marginal bleeding levels similar to controls, the percentage of sites with PD4mm and CAL 2mm is significantly higher. Further studies are needed to elucidate this apparent susceptibility of JIA patients to early attachment loss. These should focus on the common underlying immunological mechanisms observed in both conditions and also in whether there is a difference in microbiota between JIA and control patients.