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Incidence of inflammatory joint diseases in Finland: results from a population-based epidemiological study

  • Epidemiology of RMD
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Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the incidence of inflammatory joint diseases and possible environmental factors contributing to their occurrence in a defined population in Finland. All rheumatologists practising in the Northern Savo rheumatological outpatient departments collected data on their newly diagnosed patients with an inflammatory joint disease in 2010. Antibodies to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) were determined from patients with various arthritides. The incidence of all arthritis cases was 141.8/100,000 (95% CI 126.1–159.1). Eighty-six patients, 43 men and 43 women, satisfied the ACR/Eular 2010 classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) yielding an annual incidence of 41.6/100,000 (33.3–51.4), 42.5 (30.8–57.3) for men and 40.8 (29.9–56.1) for women. The incidence of chronic spondyloarthritides was 36.3 (28.6–45.5), reactive arthritis 7.8 (4.4–12.6), undifferentiated arthritis 38.7 (30.7–48.2), and crystalline arthritis 15.0 (10.2–21.3). Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody levels to Pg were higher among men, patients with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) or missing teeth and AaIgA antibody levels in patients with missing teeth. In RA, 67 % of men and 35% of women had a smoking history, p = 0.012. There was no difference between the genders in the incidence of RA, which might be explained by a higher carriage of periodontal bacteria and a higher smoking rate among men. In other disease categories, the incidences were comparable to those earlier reported. By influencing behavioral and environmental factors, it might be possible to reduce the burden of ACPA-positive RA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    A. Kononoff, L. Arstila, P. Elfving, J. Rutanen, O. Marjoniemi & O. Kaipiainen-Seppänen

  2. Iisalmi Hospital, Iisalmi, Finland

    L. Arstila

  3. Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    P. Pussinen

  4. Unit of Primary Health Care, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    H. Kautiainen

  5. Unit of Family Practice, Central Finland Central Hospital, Jyväskylä, Finland

    H. Kautiainen

  6. Varkaus Hospital, Varkaus, Finland

    P. Elfving & H. Niinisalo

  7. Kuopio Municipal Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    E. Savolainen

  8. Suonenjoki Health Centre, Suonenjoki, Finland

    H. Niinisalo

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  1. A. Kononoff
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  2. L. Arstila
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  4. H. Kautiainen
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  7. H. Niinisalo
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Correspondence to A. Kononoff.

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Ethical approval

Ethical approval was obtained from Kuopio University Hospital Ethical Committee. All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Funding

This study was funded by a grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Northern Savo Regional Fund and the Research Committee of the Kuopio University Hospital Catchment Area for the State Research Funding.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Acknowledgement: We thank Mr. Raimo Tuomainen, M.Adm.Sc. for obtaining information on the age distribution in the study area.

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Kononoff, A., Arstila, L., Pussinen, P. et al. Incidence of inflammatory joint diseases in Finland: results from a population-based epidemiological study. Rheumatol Int 37, 1693–1700 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-017-3779-1

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