INTERESTINGLY enough, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is used as medication for lupus.
Rappler, the online news platform, reported in late April that lupus patients in the Philippines were worried about a scarcity of the drug they depend on every day. Remember, this was before the World Health Organization later discredited the effectiveness of HCQ in the treatment of COVID-19.
‘’Rheumatologists and lupus patients alike are concerned about HCQ supplies because every diagnosed patient, whether they have a mild, moderate, or severe case, takes the drug,’’ the Rappler report said.
There are two types of lupus — the discoid lupus erythemamtosus which is a milder form – and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the more serious type that can cause damage to major organs of the body.
The LUISA (Lupus Inspired Advocacy) project estimates there were 2,273 SLE patients from 1995 to 2010 in the country. Admittedly the numbers are very outdated but LUISA gives a picture of the disease prevalence among Filipinos. The average age of the patients was 29; children and adolescents accounted for 408 cases. Patients were predominantly females with a ratio of 15 to one.
Now here’s another link in the narrative that oral health has a lot to do with many diseases. And vice versa. It gives credence to the statement that the mouth is the window to the body.
A newly published meta-analysis shows that lupus is significantly associated with periodontitis or gum disease. Periodontitis is a serious infection characterized by inflammation of the gums, which can ultimately lead to tooth loss.
The meta-analysis study shows that people with lupus were found to have a higher chance of developing some related complications such as gum bleeding and irreversible gum tissue loss. However, the study did not detect an association between lupus and overall severity of gum disease.
The meta-analysis, which is a statistical analysis based on several scientific studies on the same subject matter, covered 10 different studies, including five Asian, three European and two African American populations, all together pooling data from 80,633 study subjects.
Participants across the studies ranged in average age from about 15 to 50 years-old and were predominantly female, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
The researchers conducted a subgroup analysis of female participants and found a significant association between lupus and gum disease in this population as well.
‘’These latest findings underscore the link between lupus and gum disease and draws into further question if and how this relationship may be causal in nature,’’ the Lupus Foundation of America said in a statement issued in July.
Many studies have indicated lupus may lead to a higher risk of gum disease, and oral infection is also a common side effect of drugs – corticosteroids and immunosuppressants – used in lupus treatment. However, it’s also possible that gum disease may lead to the development of lupus, and the authors conclude that maintaining good oral health may be a simple and economical way to prevent the disease.
Published in the Lupus journal, the study was conducted by Hao-Jie Zhong of the Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China and the The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou; Hui-Xin Xie of Guangdong Medical University; and Xiao-Min Luo and Er-Hua Zhang of the The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University.
‘’This study demonstrates a significant association between periodontitis and SLE, which indicates that avoidance of periodontitis by maintaining oral health may be a simple and economical way to prevent SLE,’’ the researchers conclude.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the UE College of Dentistry, former Dean of the College of Dentistry, National University, past president and honorary fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy, and honorary fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists. Honorary Life Member of Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515./PN
