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Oral health is a mediator for disease severity in patients with Behçet’s disease: A multiple mediation analysis study
Author(s) -
Yay Meral,
Çelik Zülal,
Aksoy Aysun,
AlibazÖner Fatma,
Inanç Nevsun,
Ergun Tülin,
Direskeneli Haner,
Mumcu Gonca
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of oral rehabilitation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2842
pISSN - 0305-182X
DOI - 10.1111/joor.12750
Subject(s) - medicine , behcet's disease , disease , oral health , dentistry , mediation , periodontal disease , political science , law
Summary Objectives The aim of the study was to examine whether oral health as an infection focus could mediate disease course in patients with Behçet's disease (BD). Methods In the study, oral health of 194 BD patients was examined at baseline and follow‐up periods. The reasons for last dental visits were recorded as tooth extraction or regular control visits/planned treatments at the end of follow‐up period. The Behçet's disease severity score was calculated with higher scores indicating a more severe course. Mediation analysis was carried out to assess the effects of oral health on disease severity score at follow‐up period in the study. Results Dental and periodontal indices were found to be higher at follow‐up visit compared to those of baseline ( P < 0.05). Disease severity score was found to be higher in males (5.3 ± 2.4) compared to females (4.4 ±2.5) in the whole group ( P = 0.005). Moreover, patients having tooth extraction at their last dental visit and patients with dental caries had a more severe disease course (5.4 ± 2.4; 5.5 ± 2.5) compared to others (4.2 ± 2.3; 4.4 ± 2.4; P < 0.0001). In multiple mediation analysis, disease severity score was a dependent variable and was directly mediated by male gender ( B = −0.8822, P = 0.0145) and indirectly mediated through the presence of dental caries ( B = 0.9509 P = 0.0110) and need of tooth extraction ( B = 0.8758, P = 0.0128). Conclusion Both presence of dental caries and need of tooth extraction were observed to be effective mediators for a more severe disease course in BD. Therefore, better oral health should be aimed to eliminate microbial factors, which are a part of pathogenic processes.