Bacteria that cause gingivitis, manipulate our immune system
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
In a new study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists found that the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, which cause a wide variety of oral diseases, from caries to periodontitis, can control the body's immune system by disabling normal protective processes , which can destroy them.
In particular, experts have found that pathogenic bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis provoke the production of anti-inflammatory molecules of interleukin-10, which have the ability to suppress fever. This process, in turn, suppresses the function of T cells - central regulators of the immune response, which control the duration and strength of the immune response.
"More than 50% of the population of the United States over the age of fifty years suffer from oral infections," said lead author of the study, head of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Dr. Janet Katz. "We hope that the results of our study will help in the development of new methods for treating chronic diseases caused by bacteria of Porphyromonas gingivalis."
To conduct the experiment, scientists used the cells of mice that were exposed to Porphyromonas gingivalis. One part of the cells was treated with inhibitory antibodies against interleukin-10, the other part remained unprotected. Then, all cells were tested for the production of gamma-interferon, a protein secreted by the cells of the body in response to the invasion of the virus. Increased production of gamma-interferon was seen in the treated cells, but in the untreated - this process did not occur.
The data obtained indicate that the damage caused to the body by the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis occurs when the host's immune cells first encounter this pathogen, therefore it is very important that the treatment be started as soon as possible.
This study revealed the mechanism by which the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis provoke the development of chronic infection in the form of periodontal diseases, and the experiment of scientists gives an idea of how the disease develops.
"The diseases of the gums and the infections that cause them are very difficult to treat," the researchers comment. - What really was unclear is why these infections are so hard to eradicate. The results of the new study show that these bacteria do not just shy away from the protective forces of our body, but actually manipulate our immune system for our own survival. "
[