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. 2021 Jan:146:110355.
doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110355. Epub 2020 Nov 1.

Periodontal pocket and COVID-19: Could there be a possible link?

Affiliations

Periodontal pocket and COVID-19: Could there be a possible link?

Nirupa Elisetti. Med Hypotheses. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

COVID-19 is the emerging health emergency ruining the well being of individuals and devastating the global economies. Sustained research focusing on the virus has been on throughout the world. However, no definitive remedies have yet been derived in the containment of the virus. Steady knowledge on the pathogenesis of the virus has revealed certain consistent features specific to the disease which includes massive destruction of the lung due to the presence of excessive angiotensin-converting enzyme receptors (ACE2) which are essential for the viral entry inside the host. Once, access is gained multiplication occurs resulting in suppressing the immune response of the body against the virus. Henceforth, the equilibrium of the host is disrupted leading to manifestation of the disease. The Periodontal pocket also presents with pathology very much similar to COVID-19 and a possibility of dual role can be thought of pertaining to aspects of Periodontal Medicine.

Keywords: Angiotensin converting enzyme receptor (ACE-2); Corona virus; Cytokines; Periodontitis; SARS-CoV-2; Salivary glands.

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