Local and systemic mechanisms linking periodontal disease and inflammatory comorbidities

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

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.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)426-440
Number of pages15
JournalNature Reviews. Immunology
Volume21
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 33510490

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas