Association of Filifactor alocis and its RTX toxin gene ftxA with periodontal attachment loss, and in synergy with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

The Gram-positive bacterium, Filifactor alocis is an oral pathogen, and approximately 50% of known strains encode a recently identified repeat-in-toxin (RTX) protein, FtxA. By assessing a longitudinal Ghanaian study population of adolescents (10-19 years of age; mean age 13.2 years), we recently discovered a possible correlation between deep periodontal pockets measured at the two-year follow-up, presence of the ftxA gene, and a high quantity of F. alocis. To further understand the contribution of F. alocis and FtxA in periodontal disease, we used qPCR in the present study to assess the carriage loads of F. alocis and the prevalence of its ftxA gene in subgingival plaque specimens, sampled at baseline from the Ghanaian cohort (n=500). Comparing these results with the recorded clinical attachment loss (CAL) longitudinal progression data from the two-year follow up, we concluded that carriers of ftxA-positive F. alocis typically exhibited higher loads of the bacterium. Moreover, high carriage loads of F. alocis and concomitant presence of the ftxA gene were two factors that were both associated with an enhanced prevalence of CAL progression. Interestingly, CAL progression appeared to be further promoted upon the simultaneous presence of F. alocis and the non-JP2 genotype of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Taken together, our present findings are consistent with the notion that F. alocis and its ftxA gene promotes CAL during periodontal disease.

Relationship between periodontal status and C-reactive protein and interleuckin-6 levels among atherosclerotic patients in Bandar Abbas, Iran in 2014

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have reported an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. Atherosclerosis is also a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. IL-6 and CRP are important inflammatory markers that are important because they have been shown to be higher when a patient has periodontitis, and they are related to atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between periodontitis and CRP and IL-6 in atherosclerotic patients.

METHODS

The study population in this case control study was atherosclerotic patients in Bandar Abbas, Iran in 2014. The participants included 30 individuals with periodontal diseases and 30 individuals without periodontal diseases, and they were allocated into two groups according to probe depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Inflammatory markers, including CRP and IL-6 were measured in the two groups. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21 statistical software. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared, independent samples t-test, and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Individuals with abnormal CRP had significantly higher PD and CAL than individuals with normal CRP (P<0.001). Although PD was not significantly different in individuals with normal and abnormal IL-6 (P=0.124), CAL was significantly higher in individuals with abnormal IL-6 than in the other individuals (P=0.005).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study showed that CRP and IL-6 are associated with periodontal diseases in atherosclerotic patients. Treatment of periodontal diseases is recommended in atherosclerotic patients.