Microbiota in peripheral vascular thrombosis associated with periodontal disease

Methods: Thirty-six consecutive patients undergoing angioplastic surgery were included. Each patient provided three different samples: (1) an atherosclerotic plaque; (2) a blood sample and (3) a paper point sample from the subgingival microbiota, taken from the four most-affected periodontal sites. Atheromatous plaques were divided into an inner and external part and were homogenized independently.  Bacterial DNA was extracted according to a specific protocol for each type of sample. Previously optimised quantitative real-time PCR with Taqman probes was used to determine the prevalence and the quantity of the target pathogens in each sample.  Descriptive statistical analyses were applied.

Results: Seventeen subgingival samples were positive for P. gingivalis (47.22%) and 26 for A. actinomycetemcomitans (72.22%). The mean concentration of P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans in oral samples was 5.50 x 10² colony forming units (CFU)/ml (standard deviation, SD=1.12 x 10³), and 4.15 x 10² CFU/ml (SD=2.52 x 10²), respectively. Only one internal part of an atheromatous sample was positive for A. actinomytemcomitans (1.86 x 10² CFU/ml) and none for P. gingivalis. No positive samples were obtained from any of the blood samples or for the external parts of the atheromatous plaques.

Conclusion: The present results failed to support the hypothesis of a direct passage of periodontal pathogens to plasma and colonization of atheromatous plaques.