Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rheumatoid factor (RF) distribution in periodontal disease

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Clinical Immunology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigated the occurrence of an autoantibody, IgM rheumatoid factor, that may result from the chronic inflammation noted in periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. In order to detect IgM-RF, a biotin-avidin ELISA was developed. This assay was found to be sensitive and accurate by testing a rheumatoid arthritis population. The characteristics of this rheumatoid arthritis group were further determined, such that the total serum immunoglobulin concentrations were slightly elevated although within the normal range for IgM, IgG, and IgA; IgG antibody levels were elevated against oral microorganisms of the genusCapnocytophaga, while elevated IgM antibody levels were noted toBacteroides species. In a population of 260 subjects of which 171 were periodontal disease patients, 16 of 171 (9.4%) were seropositive for IgM-RF, of which the predominant disease types were advanced destructive periodontitis and adult periodontitis. For comparison, a random population of seronegative periodontal disease patients was constructed that was matched for sex and approximate age to the seropositive group. The total immunoglobulin levels of the two groups were not significantly different and the means of both were slightly lower than the rheumatoid arthritis group. When the antibody profiles of the two periodontal disease populations were compared it became evident that the RF-positive group showed IgM and IgG antibody that was significantly elevated toCapnocytophaga species andF. nucleatum. Therefore, the chronic inflammation associated with periodontitis appears to increase significantly the formation of IgM-RF; however, there does appear to be a relationship between IgM-RF and elevated antibody to selected oral microorganisms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Johnson PM, Faulk WP: Rheumatoid factor: Its nature, specificity, and production in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 6:414–430, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  2. Thurnau GR: Rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Obstet Gynecol 26:558–578, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fong S, Chen PP, Gilbertson TA, Fox RI, Vaughan JH, Carson DA: Structural similarities in thek light chains of human rheumatoid factor paraproteins and serum immunoglobulins bearing a cross-reactive idiotype. J Immunol 135:1955–1960, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dunne JV, Carson DA, Spiegelberg HL, Alspaugh MA, Vaughan JH: IgA rheumatoid factor in the sera and saliva of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren's syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis 38:161–165, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  5. Heimer R, Wolfe LD, Abruzzo JL: IgM and IgG anti-F(ab′)2 antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Arth Rheum 25:1298–1306, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rauch J, Straaton K, Massicotte H, Tannenbaum H: Monoclonal human hybridoma autoantibodies manifesting both rheumatoid factor and anti-DNA reactivities. Fed Proc 43:2425, abstr 2425, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  7. Elkon KB, Gharavi AE, Patel BM, Hughes GRV, Frankel A: IgA and IgM rheumatoid factors in serum, saliva and other secretions: Relationship to immunoglobulin rations in systemic sicca syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Immunol 52:75–84, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  8. Taborn JD, Walker SE: Rheumatoid factor: A review. Lab Med 10:392–395, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  9. Robert-Thompson PJ, Neoh SH, Bradley J: Quantitation and evaluation of low molecular weight IgM in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 39:349–353, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  10. Singh G, Myerowitz RL, Chervenick PA, Kelley RH: Monoclonal rheumatoid factor (IgGλ). Its association with amyloid deposits containing λ light chains. Arch Pathol Lab Med 105:586–589, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  11. Welch MJ, Fong S, Vaughan J, Carson D: Increased frequency of rheumatoid factor precursor B lymphocytes after immunization of normal adults with tetanus toxoid. Clin Exp Immunol 51:299–304, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  12. Coulie P, van Snick J: Rheumatoid factors and secondary immune responses in the mouse. II. Incidence, kinetics and induction mechanisms. Eur J Immunol 13:895–899, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  13. Clarkson AB, Mellow GH: Rheumatoid factor-like immunoglobulin M protects previously uninfected rat pups and dams fromTrypanosoma lewisi. Science 214:186–188, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  14. Shakib F, Stanworth DR: IgG subclass composition of rheumatoid arthritic sera and joint fluids. Ann Rheum Dis 35:263–266, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  15. Shakib F, Stanworth DR: Antigammaglobulin (rheumatoid factor) activity of human IgG subclasses. Ann Rheum Dis 37:12–17, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  16. Chu JL, Gharavi AE, Elkon KB: Clonotypic analysis of serum and secretory rheumatoid factors. Fed Proc 43:1613, abstr 1150, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  17. Koopman WJ, Miller RK, Crago SS, Mestecky J, Schrohenloher RE: IgA rheumatoid factor: Evidence for independent expression at local sites of tissue inflammation.In The Secretory Immune System, JR McGhee, J Mestecky (eds). New York, Ann NY Acad Sci, 1983, Vol 409, pp 258–72

    Google Scholar 

  18. Jones VE, Jacoby RK, Cowley PJ, Warren C: Immune complexes in early arthritis. II. Immune complex constituents are synthesized in the synovium before rheumatoid factors. Clin Exp Immunol 49:31–40, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  19. Mizushima Y, Hoshi K, Shoji Y: IgE rheumatoid factor in a case of rheumatoid arthritis with pleuritis. J Rheumatol 8:299–302, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  20. Zuraw BL, O'Hair CH, Vaughan JH, Mathison DA, Curd JG, Katz DH: Immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor in the serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and other diseases. J Clin Invest 68:1610–1613, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  21. Meretey K, Falus A, Erhardt CC, Maini RN: IgE and IgE-rheumatoid factors in circulating immune complexes in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 41:405–408, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  22. Youinou P, LeGoff P, Miossec P, L'Hostis D: Les polyarthrites rhumatoides avec facteurs thumatoides de type IgE. Rev Rhum 49:453–456, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gargiulo AV, Kohn RA, Taylor GN: Identification of autoantibodies in human dental pulp by latex-slide agglutination. Oral Surg 58:327–329, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  24. Malmstrom M, Natvig JB: IgG rheumatoid factor in dental periapical lesions of patients with rheumatoid disease. Scand J Rheumatol 4:177–185, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  25. Youinou P, Irving WL, Shipley M, Hayes J, Lydyard PM: Evidence for B-cell activation in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Immunol 55:91–98, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  26. Manheimer A, Bona C: Age-dependent isotype variation during secondary immune response in MRL/1pr mice producing auto anti-γ-globulin antibodies. Eur J Immunol 15:718–722, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  27. Heilman C, Petersen J, Andersen V, Bjerrum OJ, Dinesen B: Secretion of IgM-rheumatoid factor and IgM by blood lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand Sect C 91:27–33, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  28. Dziarski R: Anti-immunoglobulin autoantibodies are not preferentially induced in polyclonal activation of human and mouse lymphocytes, and more anti-DNA and antierythrocyte autoantibodies are induced in polyclonal activation of mouse than human lymphocytes. J Immunol 133:2537–2544, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  29. Coulie PG, van Snick J: Rheumatoid factor (RF) production during anamnestic immune responses in the mouse. III. Activation of RF precursor cells is induced by their interaction with immune complexes and carrier-specific helper T cells. J Exp Med 161:88–97, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  30. Coutelier JP, van der Logt JT, Heesen FW, Warnier G, van Snick J: Rheumatoid factor production in 129/Sv mice: Involvement of an intestinal infectious agent. J Immunol 137:337–340, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  31. Shlomchik MJ, Marshak-Rothstein A, Wolfowicz CB, Rothstein TL, Weigert MG: The role of clonal selection and somatic mutation in autoimmunity. Nature 328:805–811, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  32. Duc Dodon M, Quash GA: The antigenicity of asialylated IgG: Its relationship to rheumatoid factor. Immunology 42:401–408, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  33. Nemazee DA, Sato VL: Induction of rheumatoid antibodies in the mouse. Regulated production of autoantibody in the secondary humoral response. J Exp Med 158:529–545, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  34. Galloway G, Leung AY-T, Hunneyball IM, Stanworth DR: The successful use of asialylated IgG as an immunogen and arthritogen in the rabbit. Immunol 49:511–518, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  35. Birdsall HH, Rossen RD: Effect of anti-immunoglobulins (Anti-Ig) on antibody (Ab) synthesis by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of normal (NL) donors and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fed Proc 43:1833, abstr 2434;1984

    Google Scholar 

  36. Taubman MA, Ebersole JL, Smith DJ: Association between systemic and local antibody and periodontal diseases.In Host-Parasite Interactions in Periodontal Diseases, RJ Genco, SE Mergenhagen (eds). Washington, DC, Am Soc Microbiol, 1982, pp 283–298

    Google Scholar 

  37. Ebersole JL, Frey DE, Taubman MA, Smith DJ: An ELISA for measuring serum antibodies toActinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. J Periodont Res 15:621–632, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  38. Ebersole JL, Taubman MA, Smith DJ, Frey DE, Haffajee AD, Socransky SS: Human serum antibody responses to oral microorganisms. IV. Correlation with homologous infection. Oral Micro Immunol 2:53–59, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  39. Mancini G, Carbonara AO, Heremans JF: Immunochemical quantitation of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry 2:235–254, 1965

    Google Scholar 

  40. Waaler E: On the occurrence of a factor in human serum activating the specific agglutination of sheep blood corpuscles. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 17:172–188, 1940

    Google Scholar 

  41. Rose HM, Ragan C, Pearce E, Lipman MO: Differential agglutination of normal and sensitized sheep erythrocytes by sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 68:1–6, 1948

    Google Scholar 

  42. Singer JM, Plotz CM: The latex fixation test. I. Application to the serologic diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Med 21:888–892, 1956

    Google Scholar 

  43. Singh I, Francis GE: A direct binding assay for rheumatoid factor serum antiglobulins using fluorescein-labeled Fc fragment of human immunoglobulin-G. J Clin Pathol 31:963–973, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  44. Nordfang O, Høier-Madsen M, Halberg P, Lieberkind J: A new radioimmunoassay for IgM and IgG rheumatoid factors, based on a double antibody method. J Immunol Methods 47:87–97, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  45. Wernick R, Lo Spalluto JJ, Fink CW, Ziff M: Serum IgG and IgM rheumatoid factors by solid phase radioimmunoassay. A comparison between adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Rheum 24:1501–1511, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  46. Koopman WJ, Schrohenloher RE, Solomon A: A quantitative assay for IgA rheumatoid factor. J Immunol Methods 50:89–98, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  47. Fong S, Gilbertson TA, Carson DA: The internal image of IgG in cross-reactive anti-idiotypic antibodies against human rheumatoid factors. J Immunol 131:719–724, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  48. Berzowsky, JA, Berkower IJ: Antigen-antibody interaction.In Fundamental Immunology, WE Paul (ed). New York, Raven Press, 1984, pp 595–644.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Guesdon JL, Ternynck T, Avrameas S: The use of avidinbiotin interaction in immunoenzymatic techniques. J Histochem Cytochem 27:1131–1139, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  50. Hsu SM, Raine L, Fanger H: A comparative study of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method and an avidin-biotin complex method for studying polypeptide hormones with radio-immunoassay antibodies. Am J Clin Pathol 75:734–738, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  51. Birdsall HH, Lidsky MD, Rossen RD: Anti-Fab' antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. Measurement of the relative quantities incorporated in soluimmune complexes in sera and supernatants from cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes. Arth Rheum 26:1481–1492, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  52. Smith S, Bick PH, Miller GA, Ranney RR, Rice PL, Lalor JH, Tew JG: Polyclonal B-cell activation in severe periodontal disease in young adults. Clin Exp Immunopathol 16:354–366, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  53. Rydén AC, Schwan A, Agell B-O: A case of septic arthritis in multiple joints due toBacteroides fragilis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Acta Orthop Scand 49:98–101, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  54. Hart CA, Godfrey VM, Woodrow JC, Percival A: Case report. Septic arthritis due toBacteroides fragilis in a wrist affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 41:623–624, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  55. Crook PR, Gray J:Bacteroides causing osteomyelitis in rheumatoid arthritis [letter]. Ann Rheum Dis 41:645–646, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  56. Rubin BR, Bupta VP, Levy RS, Marmar E, Ehrlich GE: Anaerobic abscess of a popliteal cyst in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 9:733–734, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  57. Winn RE, Chase WF, Lauderdale PW, McCleskey FK: Septic arthritis involvingCapnocytophaga ochracea. J Clin Microbiol 119:538–540, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  58. Snyderman R, McCarthy GA: Analogous mechanisms of tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease.In Host-Parasite Interaction in Periodontal Diseases, RJ Genco, SE Mergenhagen (eds). Washington, DC, Am Soc Microbiol, 1982, pp 354–362

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Johan Thé

    Present address: Columbia University School of Dentistry, New York, New York

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, Forsyth Dental Center and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

    Johan Thé & Jeffrey L. Ebersole

Authors
  1. Johan Thé
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeffrey L. Ebersole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thé, J., Ebersole, J.L. Rheumatoid factor (RF) distribution in periodontal disease. J Clin Immunol 11, 132–142 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918681

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918681

Key words

Search

Navigation