Toxic Oral Bacteria Linked to Severe Gum Disease in Swedish Study
Researchers identified a specific toxin-producing strain of oral bacteria strongly associated with periodontitis severity in Swedish patients. The finding could enable dentists to identify high-risk patients earlier and guide development of targeted treatments for a disease that affects millions globally and drives significant healthcare costs.
Originaltitel: Prevalence of <em>Filifactor alocis</em> and its RTX protein-encoding gene, <em>ftxA</em>, among periodontitis patients in Sweden
<p>The oral pathogen <em>Filifactor alocis </em>encodes a repeats-in-toxin (RTX) protein, FtxA, that isencoded by the <em>ftxA</em> gene; it is present in approximately 50% of known isolated strains from various infected oral sites, including periodontitis, peri-implantitis, and root canal infections. It has been determined from PCR assessment of periodontally diseased cohorts in Ghana and Australia. Based on current knowledge,<em> ftxA</em> appears to be associated with both the progress and severity of periodontitis. This finding could potentially be linked to enhanced levels of<em> ftxA</em>-positive<em> F. alocis</em>, relative to<em> ftxA</em>-negative strain, and/or, in addition, a synergy between<em> ftxA</em>-positive strains and other periodontal pathogens. The exact mechanism remains unclear but may depend on an <em>FtxA</em>-mediated shifting of the host cell response toward immunosuppression. The main objective of the present work was to evaluate the prevalence and loads of<em> F. alocis</em> and the presence of <em>ftxA </em>in subgingival plaque in patients recruited for periodontal treatment in Sweden. This observational study included all samples that were received from external clinics over one full year (n =71 patients). Our findings revealed that <em>F. alocis</em> was carried by 49 (69%) of the individuals, with the prevalence of <em>ftxA </em>amounting to 42.9% (n = 21). In 32 of the 71 samples, <em>F. alocis </em>could be quantitatively assessed. In this sub-population of <em>F. alocis</em>-positive patients, high loads of the bacterium were not related to age, and high loads were more frequently observed upon carriage of<em> ftxA</em>. The presence of, and co-colonization with, <em>F. alocis </em>with four additional periodontal pathogens was also evaluated. <em>F. alocis</em> was notable in that it cocolonized with all of the other species. Moreover, it was detected alongside two and even three of the other species within the same sample.</p>