FIGURE 2.

Schematic illustration of the links between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal Infections. (A) An oral dysbiosis onto the tooth surface initiates innate immunity by producing pro‐inflammatory mediators in response to bacterial LPS (via the toll‐like receptor). (B) Immune cells will produce pro‐inflammatory mediators such as ILs, TNF, and MMPs, which also contribute to the augmentation of the immune response. IL‐17 induces the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and MMPs. The interactions among B and T cells and APCs play a major role in immune response activation, leading to the production of autoantibodies and the development of bone resorption. The autoantibodies contributed to the inflammatory process and resulted in bone and cartilage damage. LPS, lipopolysaccharide; ILs, interleukins; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MMPs, matrix metalloproteinases; APCs, antigen‐presenting cells.