Abstract
Oral infections up-regulate a number of systemic inflammatory reactions that, in turn, play a role in the development of systemic diseases. We investigated the association between oral health and autoimmune diseases in a cohort of Swedish adults. Hypothesis was that poor oral health associates with incidence of autoimmune diseases. Overall 1676 subjects aged 30–40 years old from Stockholm County (Sweden) participated in this study in 1985. Subjects were randomly selected from the registry file of Stockholm region and were followed-up for 30 years. Their hospital and open health care admissions (World Health Organization ICD 9 and 10 codes) were recorded from the Swedish national health registers. The association between the diagnosed autoimmune disease and the oral health variables were statistically analyzed. In all, 50 patients with autoimmune diagnoses were detected from the data. Plaque index was significantly higher in the autoimmune disease group (≥median 35 (70%) vs. ˂median 872 (54%), p = 0.030). No statistical difference was found in gingival index, calculus index, missing teeth, periodontal pockets, smoking or snuff use between patients with and without autoimmune disease. Our study hypothesis was partly confirmed. The result showed that subjects with a higher plaque index, marker of poor oral hygiene, were more likely to develop autoimmune diseases in 30 years.
Highlights
Autoimmune diseases are rare pathological states arising from an abnormal immune response to substances and tissues that are normally present in the body
In the same cohort we investigated the incidence of autoimmune diseases with respect to the patients’ oral health parameters
The subjects were separated into two groups: patients with (N = 50) and with no (N = 1626) autoimmune disease (Table 2)
Summary
Autoimmune diseases are rare pathological states arising from an abnormal immune response to substances and tissues that are normally present in the body. These diseases are multifactorial, heterogeneous and variable conditions that may exist in several organs and cell types [1,2]. The pathomechanisms of autoimmunity are multifactorial and mostly unknown [1]. The stability and functionality of tissues is a complex and strictly regulated process where immune system plays a role [2]. Pathogens can affect the regulation and autoimmunity reactions may follow [2]. Infection can induce autoimmunity either via the innate or adaptive immune responses [3]
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