Periodontitis Can Lead to Systemic Diseases
A study has found that when the microbial environment in the mouth worsens due to periodontal disease, it can increase the risk of developing systemic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.
According to Bundang Seoul National University Hospital on the 17th, microorganisms that form a complex and sophisticated ecosystem (microbiome) in our body influence the onset or prevention of diseases depending on the interaction between beneficial and harmful bacteria. The oral cavity is a representative organ where microbial communities reside. More than 1,000 species of bacteria are distributed in the oral cavity. It has been reported that 500 million to 1 billion bacteria exist in 1 ml of saliva.
Professor Lee Hyo-jung from the Department of Dentistry and Professors Kim Hyun-ji and Park Kyung-woon from the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital conducted research related to microbial communities such as bacteria in the oral cavity.
The research team published their findings on whether microorganisms are similarly found throughout the human body, including in the blood, in the international journal Journal of Oral Microbiology. They conducted a metagenomic study comparing genome DNA data extracted from a group of patients with periodontitis and a control group without the disease.
The team performed genomic sequencing analysis based on data from ▲ saliva ▲ oral mucosa ▲ dental plaque in the oral cavity ▲ feces ▲ blood of patients with periodontitis and healthy individuals.
As a result, the composition and proportion of periodontitis-related microorganisms observed in the saliva and dental plaque of periodontitis patients were also identically confirmed in their blood.
This suggests that blood can be an important indicator in confirming the mechanism by which periodontal diseases affect systemic diseases. Through this study, the research team confirmed the existence of an oral-blood microbial axis, which is expected to be an important clue explaining how oral health impacts the entire body.
This study is significant as it clarifies the previously unknown correlation between oral health and various systemic diseases. The research confirmed the existence of an ‘oral-blood microbial axis,’ where microbial communities worsened by periodontitis form habitats in the blood as well. This provides clues to elucidate the mechanism by which oral health affects the whole body.
Professor Lee Hyo-jung stated, “It is necessary to recognize that periodontitis, which worsens the microbial environment in the oral cavity, can have adverse effects on the entire body, and to pay closer attention to oral health care.”
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