Linkages between oral commensal bacteria and atherosclerotic plaques in coronary artery disease patients.

Rahul Vivek,Amit Sharma,Jyoti Chhibber-Goel,Balram Bhargava,Varsha Singhal,Debaleena Bhowmik,Neeraj Parakh

doi:10.1038/s41522-016-0009-7

Abstract

Coronary artery disease is an inflammatory disorder characterized by narrowing of coronary arteries due to atherosclerotic plaque formation. To date, the accumulated epidemiological evidence supports an association between oral bacterial diseases and coronary artery disease, but has failed to prove a causal link between the two. Due to the recent surge in microbial identification and analyses techniques, a number of bacteria have been independently found in atherosclerotic plaque samples from coronary artery disease patients. In this study, we present meta-analysis from published studies that have independently investigated the presence of bacteria within atherosclerotic plaque samples in coronary artery disease patients. Data were collated from 63 studies covering 1791 patients spread over a decade. Our analysis confirms the presence of 23 oral commensal bacteria, either individually or in co-existence, within atherosclerotic plaques in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, catheter-based atherectomy, or similar procedures. Of these 23 bacteria, 5 (Campylobacter rectus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens) are unique to coronary plaques, while the other 18 are additionally present in non-cardiac organs, and associate with over 30 non-cardiac disorders. We have cataloged the wide spectrum of proteins secreted by above atherosclerotic plaque-associated bacteria, and discuss their possible roles during microbial migration via the bloodstream. We also highlight the prevalence of specific poly-microbial communities within atherosclerotic plaques. This work provides a resource whose immediate implication is the necessity to systematically catalog landscapes of atherosclerotic plaque-associated oral commensal bacteria in human patient populations.

Highlights

Human microbiome is recognized as a central player in human health, and the oral microbiome is of increasing significance in human biology
The link between dental disease and coronary artery disease (CAD) was first established ~23 years ago when De Stefano et al reported an increased risk of atherosclerotic plaque formation in a group of patients with periodontitis (25 % higher) based on 14 years of research on 9760 individuals aged between 25–74 years.[9]
The aims of our study were to (i) collate and analyze stimuli, it is important to understand the contribution of human associations between atherosclerotic plaque-associated bacteria immune system toward the formation of atherosclerotic plaque

Summary

Introduction

Human microbiome is recognized as a central player in human health, and the oral microbiome is of increasing significance in human biology. The oral cavity includes several microbial habitats and is the central channel for entry of bacteria into the human body. It constitutes the second most complex ecological system in human body after the gut microbiome, with over 700 species of bacteria and >5 billion bacteria.[1] These grampositive or gram-negative bacteria colonize periodontal surfaces and are part of the saliva. The oral bacterial community of ~700 species is stable but remains susceptible to alteration in its population structures due to infections or other stresses (Human Oral Microbiome Database). Increasing evidence on known molecular diversity of bacteria and recent advances in culture-independent techniques has validated the involvement of oral microbiome in several autoimmune and metabolic events such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.[2,3,4,5]

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