Autoimmunity to citrullinated proteins is very specific for rheumatoid arthritis and is considered to be of pathogenic significance. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major pathogen in gum disease (periodontitis), is hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis by its unique ability to citrullinate endogenous and host proteins. The immune system in patients with a periodontal infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis is exposed to citrullinated antigens that might become systemic immunogens, eventually leading to rheumatoid arthritis.
CITATION STYLE
De Smit, M. J., Westra, J., Nesse, W., Vissink, A., Van Winkelhoff, A. J., & Brouwer, E. (2014). Protein citrullination: The link between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis’. In Protein Deimination in Human Health and Disease (pp. 69–82). Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8317-5_4
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