Elucidation of the relationship between oral bacteria and atrial fibrosis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20924
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0903:Organ-based internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Miyauchi Shunsuke 広島大学, 保健管理センター, 助教 (30910799)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 心房細動 / 歯周炎 / 心房線維化 / 危険因子 / 口腔細菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Periodontitis is associated with some systemic diseases such as atherosclerosis, but the relationship between periodontitis and atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been clarified. In this study, we focused on atrial fibrosis which is the substrate of the onset and perpetuation of AF, and clarified the following points: 1) Periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA), a quantification index of active inflammation in periodontitis, was positively correlated with the atrial fibrosis degree 2) PISA is higher in patients with persistent AF than in those with paroxysmal AF. These findings were published in a peer-reviewed international journal (JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2023;9(1):43-53). In addition, DNAs of major periodontal bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia、Fusobacterium nucleatum、Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans、Treponema denticola) were detected in the atrial tissue.

Free Research Field

循環器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

心房細動は脳梗塞、心不全の原因となり、発症、重症化予防が重要である。加齢や遺伝的素因も心房細動に関与するが、肥満、運動不足、睡眠呼吸障害、糖尿病、高血圧、脂質異常、喫煙、飲酒、カフェイン摂取は心房細動の修正可能な危険因子とされ、多職種による包括的な心房細動リスク管理が推奨されている。本研究成果は歯周炎が心房細動の新規の修正可能な危険因子であることを明らかにするための基礎的エビデンスとなる。既知の危険因子と比較して治療が容易な歯周炎を危険因子と明らかにすることは重要であり、心房細動診療における医科歯科連携の重要性が示唆される。