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Review
. 2021 Sep 20:8:723719.
doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.723719. eCollection 2021.

Co-pathogens in Periodontitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Zhengwen Cai  1 , Tao Zhu  1 , Fengshuo Liu  1 , Zixuan Zhuang  2 , Lei Zhao  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Co-pathogens in Periodontitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Zhengwen Cai et al. Front Med (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Localized inflammatory lesions in one area of the body may affect other distant organs through various modes of transmission thus initiating secondary inflammatory infections. Periodontal disease (PD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been shown to coexist. Periodontitis is a multifactorial inflammatory disease, and dental plaque is considered to be the initial risk factor. Individuals with genetic susceptibility are more likely to develop periodontitis when exposed to external stimuli. IBD is affected by host genetics, immunoregulation, daily diet, and the gut microbiota, and its risk factors appear to be shared with those of PD. However, the key etiologies of both diseases remain unclear, thus hindering the exploration of possible links between IBD and PD. Recent studies and systematic reviews have focused on evidence-based statistics of the prevalence and clinical manifestations of both diseases, but discussions of the microbial etiological correlation between periodontitis and intestinal inflammation are scarce. Here, we summarize the potential common pathogenic microorganisms that may serve as bridges between the two diseases. Studies have shown that invasive microorganisms such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Klebsiella spp. and Campylobacter spp. play key roles in the comorbidity of PD and IBD.

Keywords: bacteria; inflammatory bowel disease; intestine; microbiota; periodontal disease; periodontitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The oral cavity and intestinal tract can contain initial lesions infected with suspicious invasive bacteria that lead to localized dysbiosis. The key pathogens can travel through the digestive tract to other parts of the body and trigger or aggravate inflammatory diseases. Other proinflammatory cytokines and harmful metabolites can be transmitted via the circulatory system to initiate inflammation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proinflammatory effects of the four pathobionts (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Klebsiella spp., Fusobacterium spp., and Campylobacter spp.) in the intestines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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