Examination of the influence that oral bacteria gives to carotid arterial stenosis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K11918
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: Maruoka Yasubumi 昭和大学, 歯学部, 客員教授 (80209692)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田代 三恵 昭和大学, 歯学部, 准教授 (90555393) ; マイヤース マイケル 昭和大学, その他部局等, 講師 (90799652) ; 松井 庄平 昭和大学, 歯学部, 助教 (10643702)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔内細菌 / メタゲノム解析 / 内頸動脈狭窄症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we compared the bacterial flora of the atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery and dental plaque of patients with internal carotid artery stenosis using 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) metagenomic sequencing.
Fifty-four patients who underwent internal carotid endarterectomy for internal carotid artery stenosis at the Showa University Hospital. Polymerase chain reaction targeting the 16S rRNA gene detected bacterial DNA in the carotid plaques of 11 cases, of which only five could be further analyzed. The results demonstrated that the microflora of carotid plaques (n=5) contained bacterial species from 55 families and 78 genera. In addition, 86.5% of the bacteria detected in the carotid plaques were also detected in oral plaques. Cariogenic and periodontopathic bacteria accounted for 27.7% and 4.7% of the bacteria in the carotid plaques, respectively. These results suggest that oral bacteria are directly or indirectly involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Free Research Field

歯科口腔外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

内頸動脈狭窄症の頸動脈プラークと口腔内プラークを16S rRNAメタゲノムシーケンスで細菌叢を網羅的に検討した。5例の頸動脈プラークより55科78属の多様な細菌叢を認めた。その中から口腔常在菌を86.5％検出された。口腔細菌の慢性的な感染により直接的または間接的にアテローム性動脈硬化症に何らかの関与をもたらしている可能性が高い。口腔細菌叢が内頸動脈狭窄症の発症要因となる可能性もあり、周術期口腔機能管理のプロトコールを確立し、医科・歯科チーム医療推進の必要性が示唆された。