Local and Systemic Mechanisms Linking Periodontal Disease and Inflammatory Comorbidities

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2021 Jan 29

PMID 33510490

Citations 482

Authors

George Hajishengallis

Triantafyllos Chavakis

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Periodontitis, a major inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa, is epidemiologically associated with other chronic inflammation-driven disorders, including cardio-metabolic, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases and cancer. Emerging evidence from interventional studies indicates that local treatment of periodontitis ameliorates surrogate markers of comorbid conditions. The potential causal link between periodontitis and its comorbidities is further strengthened by recent experimental animal studies establishing biologically plausible and clinically consistent mechanisms whereby periodontitis could initiate or aggravate a comorbid condition. This multi-faceted 'mechanistic causality' aspect of the link between periodontitis and comorbidities is the focus of this Review. Understanding how certain extra-oral pathologies are affected by disseminated periodontal pathogens and periodontitis-associated systemic inflammation, including adaptation of bone marrow haematopoietic progenitors, may provide new therapeutic options to reduce the risk of periodontitis-associated comorbidities.

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