Localisation of citrullinated and carbamylated proteins in inflamed gingival tissues from rheumatoid arthritis patients

• Main Authors: Lee, Yin Hui, Baharuddin, Nor Adinar, Chan, Siew Wui, Rahman, Mohammad Tariqur, Bartold, P. Mark, Sockalingam, Sargunan, Vaithilingam, Rathna Devi
• Format: Article
• Published: Springer 2021
• Subjects: RK Dentistry
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/28766/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Objectives It has been proposed that citrullination and carbamylation occur in the inflamed periodontium and could be the plausible mechanisms for the generation of antigens involved in the development and progression of RA. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence and location of citrullinated and carbamylated proteins in the gingival tissues and compare their abundance in periodontitis (PD) patients with or without RA. Materials and methods Gingival tissue samples of healthy (n = 5), PD with RA (n = 5) and PD without RA (n = 5) were collected. Specimens were formalin fixed, paraffin embedded and sectioned at 4 mu m. The tissue sections were analysed for the presence of citrullinated and carbamylated proteins by immunohistochemistry. Semi-quantitative analysis was performed to quantify and compare the protein abundance between groups. Results The number of cells containing citrullinated and carbamylated proteins with higher intensity was markedly increased in gingival tissues from PD with or without RA in comparison with healthy controls. Conclusion Inflamed gingival tissue is a potential source of citrullinated and carbamylated proteins other than synovial tissues. The extent to which the local accumulation of these proteins contributes to the pathogenesis of RA needs further elucidation.