title: Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: Periodontitis is characterized by gingival inflammation and periodontopathic bacteria generate immunological inflammatory responses. Recent epidemiological reports suggest that periodontitis is one of the key risk factors for the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Several studies reported that periodontal bacteria in cardiovascular specimens were frequently detected. We revealed that patients with acute coronary syndrome showed significantly higher serum IgG titers to a strain of periodontopathic bacteria compared with patients with chronic coronary disease. Periodontopathic bacteria were also present in a high percentage of specimens of diseased arteries from patients with Buerger disease or abdominal aortic aneurysm. Although periodontopathic bacteria may play a role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, the influence of these bacteria on the disease has not yet been proven. In this article, we review the relationship between periodontopathic pathogens and cardiovascular diseases to conduct further clinical and experimental investigations in near future.
authors.affiliation: University of Tokyo, Department of Advanced Clinical Science and Therapeutics, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. junichisuzuki-circ@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Ryozo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isobe
mesh_terms: D000189:Actinobacillus Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D016866:Bacteroidaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000502:physiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases