title: The autoimmunity-oral microbiome connection.
abstract: To date, there is a major effort in deciphering the role of complex microbial communities, especially the oral and gut microbiomes, in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Increasing evidence indicates a key role for the oral microbiome in autoimmune diseases. In this review article, we discuss links of the oral microbiota to a group of autoimmune diseases, that is, Sjögren's syndrome (SS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Crohn's disease (CD), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We particularly focus on factors that affect the balance between the immune system and the composition of microbiota leading to dysbiosis, loss of tolerance and subsequent autoimmune disease progression and maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Dental School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Nikitakis
authors.affiliation: Dental School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Sakkas
authors.affiliation: Dental School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kousvelari
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D064806:Dysbiosis / Q000276:immunology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Sjögren's syndrome; autoimmunity; crohn's disease; lupus erythematosus; oral microbiome; rheumatoid arthritis