Effect of treatment of bacterial vaginosis on disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common autoimmune diseases in women of reproductive age. Studies have shown that bacterial vaginosis can affect the activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of treatment of bacterial vaginosis on disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. Methods:This interventional study was conducted in 100 women with rheumatoid arthritis (50 women with bacterial vaginosis and 50 women without bacterial vaginosis) referred to the Rheumatologyclinicin Tehranduring 2013. The activity of rheumatoid arthritis was assessed by DAS-28 in both groups before the study. The women were treated withoral metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for one week in the intervention group. The disease activity was also assessed in both groups after the study. Data were analyzed using T-test, Chi-square test, and ANOVA. Findings:The disease activity was not significantly different between the two the groups before the study. But the disease activity in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group after the study. Conclusion: With regards to the results, it seems that the treatment ofbacterial vaginosis can improve the activity of rheumatoid arthritis.These findings indicate the importance of attention to health care in women with rheumatoid arthritis by healthcare providers.