title: Prevelance of periodontopathogenic bacteria in subgingival biofilm and atherosclerotic plaques of patients undergoing coronary revascularization surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study was to detect the presence of specific periodontopathogenic bacteria in the coronary plaque of patients with coronary artery disease and to find out the significant association between the periodontal status and the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the coronary plaque.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 51 patients with chronic generalized periodontitis undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Periodontal parameters were recorded and deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from the subgingival plaque and coronary atherosclerotic plaque samples of the same patients. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the part of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene to detect the presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Porphyromonas gingivali (Pg), Porphyromonas gingivalis (fimA) gene and Treponema denticola (Td).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aa, Tf, Pg, Pg (fimA) gene and Td were detected in 0%, 31.4%, 45.1% 39.2% and 51% of atherosclerotic plaque samples, respectively. Tf was detected in 19.6%, Pg in 39.2%, Pg (fimA) gene in 33.3% and Td in 35.3% of both, subgingival plaque and atherosclerotic plaque samples. Periodontal parameters correlated with the presence of bacteria in coronary plaque. Aa could not be detected in coronary plaque samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirmed the detection of Red complex bacteria in coronary plaque samples and these bacteria correlated with the severity of periodontal destruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Jaideep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahendra
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Rajah Muthaiah Medical College and Hospital, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Little
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahendra
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio-Statistics, Rajah Muthaiah Medical College and Hospital, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry, Department of Periodontology, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romanos
keywords: Atherosclerosis; chronic periodontitis; coronary artery disease; inflammation; polymerase chain reaction