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Synergistic virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola in a murine periodontitis model
Author(s) -
Orth R.KH.,
O’BrienSimpson N.M.,
Dashper S.G.,
Reynolds E.C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
molecular oral microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 2041-1014
pISSN - 2041-1006
DOI - 10.1111/j.2041-1014.2011.00612.x
Subject(s) - treponema denticola , porphyromonas gingivalis , periodontitis , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , virulence , cytokine , treponema , dental alveolus , chronic periodontitis , chemistry , biology , immunology , medicine , dentistry , biochemistry , syphilis , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , gene
Summary Chronic periodontitis is characterized by the destruction of the tissues supporting the teeth and has been associated with the presence of a subgingival polymicrobial biofilm containing Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola . We have investigated the potential synergistic virulence of P. gingivalis and T. denticola using a murine experimental model of periodontitis. An inoculation regime of four intra‐oral doses of 1 × 10 10 P. gingivalis cells induced significant periodontal bone loss compared with loss in sham‐inoculated mice, whereas doses of 1 × 10 9 cells or lower did not induce bone loss. Inoculation with T. denticola with up to eight doses of 1 × 10 10 cells failed to induce bone loss in this model. However, four doses of a co‐inoculum of a 1 : 1 ratio of P. gingivalis and T. denticola at 5 × 10 8 or 1 × 10 9 total bacterial cells induced the same level of bone loss as four doses of 1 × 10 10 P. gingivalis cells. Co‐inoculation induced strong P. gingivalis ‐specific T‐cell proliferative and interferon‐γ‐dominant cytokine responses, and induced a strong T. denticola ‐specific interferon‐γ dominant cytokine response. Only at the higher co‐inoculum dose of 1 × 10 10 total cells was a T. denticola ‐specific T‐cell proliferative response observed. These data show that P. gingivalis and T. denticola act synergistically to stimulate the host immune response and to induce alveolar bone loss in a murine experimental periodontitis model.