Anti-arthritic drugs can make periodontitis worse
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- Published: Tuesday, 12 August 2014 07:27
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Inflammatory diseases can occur simultaneously in distinct sites in the same patient, complicating treatment because a medication effective for one disorder may exacerbate the other. One such example is the anti-arthritic medication dexamethasone, which alleviates joint disease but can worsen periodontal bone disease, according to a study in the August issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
More than 60 years ago, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was shown to be effective for treating rheumatoid and gouty arthritis yet its current clinical use is very sporadic. It is now appreciated that some of the anti-inflammatory actions of ACTH are mediated via the peripheral MC system on MC receptors expressed in bone cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells. Research has shown that activation of MC receptors by ACTH or other MC peptides can lead to a variety of protective actions against bone loss, including increased matrix deposition, reduced osteoclast activation, and enhanced proliferation of bone-forming cells.
In the study, researchers first determined whether mice that were induced with experimental arthritis also manifested bone loss in the alveolar (tooth socket) bone. They found that bone loss in the jaw correlated with the severity of localized inflammation in the joints of the mice.
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