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Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery Aug 2022Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe disease that is still associated with high mortality despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment. HACEK organisms... (Review)
Review
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe disease that is still associated with high mortality despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment. HACEK organisms (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella kingae) are gram-negative bacteria that are part of the normal flora of the mouth and upper respiratory tract in humans. These organisms cause a wide range of infections, of which IE is one of the most notable. In order to control and prevent endocarditis caused by HACEK, measures such as oral hygiene and the use of prophylactic drugs should be used for people at risk, including people with underlying heart disease and people with artificial valves. This review is a summary of the main aspects of IE focusing on HACEK organisms.
Topics: Eikenella corrodens; Endocarditis; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Haemophilus; Heart Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 35986339
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-022-01932-5 -
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience Mar 2022Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Individuals affected by the disease gradually lose their capacity for abstract thinking,... (Review)
Review
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Individuals affected by the disease gradually lose their capacity for abstract thinking, understanding, communication and memory. As populations age, declining cognitive abilities will represent an increasing global health concern. While AD was first described over a century ago, its pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. It is believed that cognitive decline in AD is caused by a progressive loss of neurons and synapses that lead to reduced neural plasticity. AD is a multifactorial disease affected by genetic and environmental factors. The molecular hallmarks of AD include formation of extracellular β amyloid (Aβ) aggregates, neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, excessive oxidative damage, an imbalance of biothiols, dysregulated methylation, and a disproportionate inflammatory response. Recent reports have shown that viruses (e.g., Herpes simplex type 1, 2, 6A/B; human cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis C virus, influenza virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2), bacteria (e.g., , , , , , , , , , and ), as well as eukaryotic unicellular parasites (e.g., ) may factor into cognitive decline within the context of AD. Microorganisms may trigger pathological changes in the brain that resemble and/or induce accumulation of Aβ peptides and promote tau hyperphosphorylation. Further, the mere presence of infectious agents is suspected to induce both local and systemic inflammatory responses promoting cellular damage and neuronal loss. Here we review the influence of infectious agents on the development of AD to inspire new research in dementia based on these pathogens.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; COVID-19; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Humans; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35364661
DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2102073 -
Archives of Razi Institute Oct 2022Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the dental plaque and affects the soft tissues supporting the tooth. It is one of the most practical oral health... (Review)
Review
Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the dental plaque and affects the soft tissues supporting the tooth. It is one of the most practical oral health issues across the globe and adversely affects the quality of life. In a neutrophil-mediated action, the inflammatory response to periodontitis destroys the periodontal ligaments, gums, the alveolar bone, and the cementum. Some of the most associated invasive pathogens with periodontitis are , , and . Google Scholar and PubMed were used to search the evidence using key terms like 'periodontitis,' ',' 'Oral Dysbiosis and Periodontitis,' ' and Periodontitis,' etc. Only studies were included reviewing the and its role in periodontitis. It has been observed from several oral pathogens that has received immense attention due to a strong association between and periodontal disease. also disrupts the delicate balance between various members of the oral microbial communities and promotes oral dysbiosis. The dysbiotic state of the oral microbiome is distinct in functional capabilities and shows a higher expression of genes involved in lipopolysaccharide synthesis, energy regulation, and bacterial motility. Certain virulence factors such as gingipains, LPS, and fimbriae also increase the invasion and pathogenicity of . Its presence in the periodontal tissues increases the secretion of numerous pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-1β, leading to the destruction of soft gingival tissues and ligaments. Early detection of periodontitis and immediate treatment can prevent soft tissue destruction and dentition loss. In conclusion, details about the oral microbiome, oral dysbiosis, and inflammation may offer new therapeutic options in the future, including a personalized approach and the use of combination therapy.
Topics: Dysbiosis; Inflammation; Periodontitis; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Quality of Life; Humans
PubMed: 37123122
DOI: 10.22092/ARI.2021.356596.1875 -
PeerJ 2023Epidemiological studies report associations between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and periodontitis; however, causality has not been proven. The aim of this study...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Epidemiological studies report associations between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and periodontitis; however, causality has not been proven. The aim of this study is to assess the associations between COVID-19 susceptibility and periodontitis with two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.
METHODS
A two-sample summary MR analysis was performed using data for outcome and exposure from the OpenGWAS database on people of European descent. Periodontal complex traits (PCTs) were chosen as a proxy for the periodontitis phenotype. The causal association between PCT3 (), PCT5 (), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) interleukin-1 (IL-1) and COVID-19 were considered. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data with the two largest sample sizes were selected as COVID-19 outcomes (datasets ebi-a-GCST010776 and ebi-a-GCST010777). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with PCT3, PCT5, and GCF IL-1 at statistical significance at genome-wide level ( < 5 × 10) were identified as genetic instruments. We used two-sample summary MR methods and tested the existence of a pleiotropic effect with MR-Egger.
RESULTS
Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) estimates showed that there was a positive association between COVID-19 risk and periodontitis (ebi-a-GCST010776: odds ratio [OR] = 1.02 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00-1.05), = 0.0171; ebi-a-GCST010777: OR = 1.03 (95% CI, 1.00-1.05), = 0.0397). The weighted median also showed directionally similar estimates. Exploration of the causal associations between other PCTs and COVID-19 identified a slight effect of local inflammatory response (GCF IL-1) on COVID-19 risk across the two datasets (ebi-a-GCST010776: IVW OR = 1.02 (95% CI, [1.01-1.03]), < 0.001; ebi-a-GCST010777: IVW OR = 1.03 (95% CI, [1.02-1.04]), < 0.001). The intercepts of MR-Egger yielded no proof for significant directional pleiotropy for either dataset (ebi-a-GCST010776: = 0.7660; ebi-a-GCST010777: = 0.6017).
CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggests that periodontitis and the higher GCF IL-1 levels is causally related to increase susceptibility of COVID-19. However, given the limitations of our study, the well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm its findings, which may represent a new non-pharmaceutical intervention for preventing COVID-19.
Topics: Humans; Genome-Wide Association Study; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; COVID-19; Periodontitis; Causality
PubMed: 36718446
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14595 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Nov 2021Development of bacterial resistance and antimicrobial side-effect has shifted the focus of research toward Ethnopharmacology. A biologically active compound derived from...
INTRODUCTION
Development of bacterial resistance and antimicrobial side-effect has shifted the focus of research toward Ethnopharmacology. A biologically active compound derived from the plants may increase the effectiveness of antibiotic when used in combination. The present study aims to determine the synergistic antibacterial effect of ethanolic extracts of Punica granatum (pericarp), Commiphora molmol, Azadirachta indica (bark) in combination with amoxicillin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and azithromycin on periodontopathic bacteria: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.
METHODOLOGY
Periodontopathic bacterial strains were isolated from the plaque sample that was collected from periodontitis patients and grown under favorable conditions. Susceptibility of bacteria to the antibiotics and extracts was determined by disc diffusion method by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of plant extracts were evaluated against each bacterium. Synergistic effect of plant extract in combination with antibiotics was tested against each bacterium by measuring the diameter of zone of inhibition (ZOI).
RESULTS
Findings revealed that all plant extracts exhibited an inhibitory effects on the proliferation and growth of periodontopathic bacteria. The maximum antibacterial effect was exhibited by C. molmol on P. gingivalis (ZOI = 20 ± 0.55 mm, MIC = 0.53 ± 0.24 mg/mL and MBC = 5.21 ± 1.81 mg/mL) (p < 0.05), meanwhile, no antibacterial activity was exhibited by P. granatum on T. forsythia. Synergistic antibacterial effect was recorded when plant extracts were used in combination with antibiotics. The best synergism was exhibited by P. granatum with amoxicillin against A. actinomycetemcomitans (24 ± 1.00 mm) (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The synergistic test showed significant antibacterial activity when plant extracts were combined with antibiotics against all the experimented bacteria.
Topics: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Periodontitis; Plant Extracts; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Tannerella forsythia
PubMed: 34898497
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.14904 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021The prevalence of anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related disorders are on the rise; however, efforts to develop new and effective treatment strategies have had... (Review)
Review
The prevalence of anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related disorders are on the rise; however, efforts to develop new and effective treatment strategies have had limited success. To identify novel therapeutic targets, a comprehensive understanding of the disease etiology is needed, especially in the context of the holobiont, i.e., the superorganism consisting of a human and its microbiotas. Much emphasis has been placed on the role of the gut microbiota in the development, exacerbation, and persistence of psychiatric disorders; however, data for the oral microbiota are limited. The oral cavity houses the second most diverse microbial community in the body, with over 700 bacterial species that colonize the soft and hard tissues. Periodontal diseases encompass a group of infectious and inflammatory diseases that affect the periodontium. Among them, periodontitis is defined as a chronic, multi-bacterial infection that elicits low-grade systemic inflammation the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as local invasion and long-distance translocation of periodontal pathogens. Periodontitis can also induce or exacerbate other chronic systemic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes and can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recently, periodontal pathogens have been implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders (such as depression and schizophrenia), especially as dysregulation of the immune system also plays an integral role in the etiology and pathophysiology of these disorders. This review will discuss the role of the oral microbiota associated with periodontal diseases in anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related disorders. Epidemiological data of periodontal diseases in individuals with these disorders will be presented, followed by a discussion of the microbiological and immunological links between the oral microbiota and the central nervous system. Pre-clinical and clinical findings on the oral microbiota related to periodontal diseases in anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related phenotypes will be reviewed, followed by a discussion on the bi-directionality of the oral-brain axis. Lastly, we will focus on the oral microbiota associated with periodontal diseases as a target for future therapeutic interventions to alleviate symptoms of these debilitating psychiatric disorders.
PubMed: 35153869
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.814177 -
Journal of Dental Research Jul 2019The oral cavity contains a rich consortium of exopolysaccharide-producing microbes. These extracellular polysaccharides comprise a major component of the oral biofilm.... (Review)
Review
The oral cavity contains a rich consortium of exopolysaccharide-producing microbes. These extracellular polysaccharides comprise a major component of the oral biofilm. Together with extracellular proteins, DNA, and lipids, they form the biofilm matrix, which contributes to bacterial colonization, biofilm formation and maintenance, and pathogenesis. While a number of oral microbes have been studied in detail with regard to biofilm formation and pathogenesis, the exopolysaccharides have been well characterized for only select organisms, namely and . Studies on the exopolysaccharides of other oral organisms, however, are in their infancy. In this review, we present the current research on exopolysaccharides of oral microbes regarding their biosynthesis, regulation, contributions to biofilm formation and stability of the matrix, and immune evasion. In addition, insight into the role of exopolysaccharides in biofilms is highlighted through the evaluation of emerging techniques such as pH probing of biofilm colonies, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance for macromolecular interactions within biofilms, and super-resolution microscopy analysis of biofilm development. Finally, exopolysaccharide as a potential nutrient source for species within a biofilm is discussed.
Topics: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Biofilms; Humans; Mouth; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Streptococcus mutans
PubMed: 31009580
DOI: 10.1177/0022034519845001 -
Periodontology 2000 Feb 2020The etiopathogenesis of severe periodontitis includes herpesvirus-bacteria coinfection. This article evaluates the pathogenicity of herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus and... (Review)
Review
The etiopathogenesis of severe periodontitis includes herpesvirus-bacteria coinfection. This article evaluates the pathogenicity of herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus) and periodontopathic bacteria (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis) and coinfection of these infectious agents in the initiation and progression of periodontitis. Cytomegalovirus and A. actinomycetemcomitans/P. gingivalis exercise synergistic pathogenicity in the development of localized ("aggressive") juvenile periodontitis. Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus are associated with P. gingivalis in adult types of periodontitis. Periodontal herpesviruses that enter the general circulation may also contribute to disease development in various organ systems. A 2-way interaction is likely to occur between periodontal herpesviruses and periodontopathic bacteria, with herpesviruses promoting bacterial upgrowth, and bacterial factors reactivating latent herpesviruses. Bacterial-induced gingivitis may facilitate herpesvirus colonization of the periodontium, and herpesvirus infections may impede the antibacterial host defense and alter periodontal cells to predispose for bacterial adherence and invasion. Herpesvirus-bacteria synergistic interactions, are likely to comprise an important pathogenic determinant of aggressive periodontitis. However, mechanistic investigations into the molecular and cellular interaction between periodontal herpesviruses and bacteria are still scarce. Herpesvirus-bacteria coinfection studies may yield significant new discoveries of pathogenic determinants, and drug and vaccine targets to minimize or prevent periodontitis and periodontitis-related systemic diseases.
Topics: Adult; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Cytomegalovirus; Herpesviridae; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Humans; Porphyromonas gingivalis
PubMed: 31850623
DOI: 10.1111/prd.12311 -
Cancers May 2022The extended scope of upper gastrointestinal cancer can include esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. A higher incidence rate of gastric cancer and... (Review)
Review
The extended scope of upper gastrointestinal cancer can include esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. A higher incidence rate of gastric cancer and esophageal cancer in patients with liver cirrhosis has been reported. It is attributable to four possible causes which exist in cirrhotic patients, including a higher prevalence of gastric ulcers and congestive gastropathy, zinc deficiency, alcohol drinking and tobacco use and coexisting gut microbiota. Helicobacter pylori infection enhances the development of gastric cancer. In addition, Helicobacter pylori, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans also contribute to the development of pancreatic cancer in cirrhotic patients. Cirrhotic patients (especially those with alcoholic liver cirrhosis) who undergo liver transplantation have a higher overall risk of developing de novo malignancies. Most de novo malignancies are upper gastrointestinal malignancies. The prognosis is usually poor. Considering the surgical risk of upper gastrointestinal cancer among those with liver cirrhosis, a radical gastrectomy with D1 or D2 lymph node dissection can be undertaken in Child class A patients. D1 lymph node dissection can be performed in Child class B patients. Endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric cancer or esophageal cancer can be undertaken safely in selected cirrhotic patients. In Child class C patients, a radical gastrectomy is potentially fatal. Pancreatic radical surgery should be avoided in those with liver cirrhosis with Child class B or a MELD score over 15. The current review focuses on the recent reports on some factors in liver cirrhosis that contribute to the development of upper gastrointestinal cancer. Quitting alcohol drinking and tobacco use is important. How to decrease the risk of the development of gastrointestinal cancer in those with liver cirrhosis remains a challenging problem.
PubMed: 35565397
DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092269