Pathogenic mechanism for aggravation of inflammatory bowel diseases caused by oral bacteria and specification of highly virulent strains

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24390461
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthodontic/Pediatric dentistry
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: NAKANO Kazuhiko 大阪大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 教授 (00379083)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NOMURA Ryota 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 准教授 (90437385) ; NEMOTO Hirotoshi 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 招へい教員 (80527226)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: Streptococcus mutans / 炎症性腸炎 / マウスモデル / 血液 / 肝臓 / サイトカイン / Streptococcus sanguinis / 口腔レンサ球菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Streptococcus mutans, a pathogen of dental caries, is known to cause several systemic diseases when invading the bloodstream. In this study, analyses of S. mutans causing inflammatory bowel diseases in a mouse model revealed that some strains also aggravated colitis. Investigation of that mechanism of aggravation revealed that the strains were localized in hepatic tissue, which secreted several cytokines related to aggravation, while binding was associated with the cell surface collagen-binding protein of strains that had invaded the bloodstream. In addition, other oral streptococcal species including Streptococcus sanguinis were also shown to aggravate colitis.

Free Research Field

小児歯科学