Chlamydia pneumoniae is present in the dental plaque of periodontitis patients and stimulates an inflammatory response in gingival epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT: Chlamydia pneumoniae is an airborne, Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium which causes human respiratory infections and has been associated with atherosclerosis. Because individuals with periodontitis are at greater risk for atherosclerosis as well as respiratory infections, we in-vestigated the role of C. pneumoniae in inflammation and periodontal dis-ease. We found that C. pneumoniae was more frequently found in subgingival dental plaque obtained from periodontally diseased sites of the mouth versus healthy sites. The known periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, were also found in the plaque. In addition, C. pneumoniae could efficiently invade human gingival epithelial cells (GECs)

SUBMITTER: Almeida-da-Silva CLC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6444558 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature