Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases.

Periodontitis is characterized by gingival inflammation and periodontopathic bacteria generate immunological inflammatory responses. Recent epidemiological reports suggest that periodontitis is one of the key risk factors for the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Several studies reported that periodontal bacteria in cardiovascular specimens were frequently detected. We revealed that patients with acute coronary syndrome showed significantly higher serum IgG titers to a strain of periodontopathic bacteria compared with patients with chronic coronary disease. Periodontopathic bacteria were also present in a high percentage of specimens of diseased arteries from patients with Buerger disease or abdominal aortic aneurysm. Although periodontopathic bacteria may play a role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, the influence of these bacteria on the disease has not yet been proven. In this article, we review the relationship between periodontopathic pathogens and cardiovascular diseases to conduct further clinical and experimental investigations in near future.