A Proteomic Analysis of the Virulence Factors of Three Common Bacterial Species Involved in Periodontitis and Consequent Possible Atherosclerosis: A Narrative Review

Systems Biology in Periodontitis

Systems biology is a promising scientific discipline that allows an integrated investigation of host factors, microbial composition, biomarkers, immune response and inflammatory mediators in many conditions such as chronic diseases, cancer, neurological disorders, and periodontitis. This concept utilizes genetic decoding, bioinformatic, flux-balance analysis in a comprehensive approach. The aim of this review is to better understand the current literature on systems biology and identify a clear applicability of it to periodontitis. We will mostly focus on the association between this condition and topics such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, as well as contextualize delivery systems for periodontitis treatment, biomarker detection in oral fluids and associated systemic conditions.

Diagnostic efficacy of intravascular ultrasound combined with Gd2O3-EPL contrast agent for patients with atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that is pathologically associated with the growth of atherosclerotic plaques and vascular vulnerability. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been used to evaluate and treat cardiovascular diseases. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that Gd2O3-doped nanoparticles contrast can be applied for the diagnosis of human diseases. In the present study, eplerenone (EPL), a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, was first doped with Gd2O3 nanoparticles (Gd2O3-EPL), following which its diagnostic efficacy for use in IVUS measurements (Gd2O3-EPL-IVUS) was evaluated for patients suspected with atherosclerosis. Gd2O3-EPL-IVUS presented with higher accuracy and sensitivity compared with IVUS in diagnosing 188 patients with suspected atherosclerosis. Gd2O3-EPL-IVUS exhibited stronger signals associated with plaque morphology compared with aloe IVUS for patients with atherosclerosis. In addition, Gd2O3-EPL-IVUS application resulted in clearer arterial plaque images compared with IVUS by binding mineralocorticoid receptors. Atherosclerosis was subsequently confirmed in all patients using computerized tomography-coronary angiography. Gd2O3-EPL-IVUS showed more accuracy in measuring vessel size, plaque burden and minimal lumen area compared with IVUS analysis alone. In conclusion, these outcomes suggest that Gd2O3-EPL-IVUS is a reliable tool for the evaluation of coronary lesions in patients with atherosclerosis.