Gut microbiota and the periodontal disease: role of hyperhomocysteinemia
Dragana Stanisic; , Revue canadienne de physiologie et pharmacologie, 24 July 2020.
Periodontal disease results from poor oral hygiene and is characterized by a destructive process in periodontium that includes gingiva, alveolar mucosa, cementum, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. Notably, destructive event in alveolar bone has been linked to homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism however; it has not been fully investigated. Therefore; implication of Hcy towards initiation, progression and maintenance of periodontal disease remains incompletely understood.
Higher Hcy (or hyperhomocysteinemia; HHcy) exerts deleterious effects on gum health and teeth. Firstly, increased proinflammatory cytokines production such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 leads to an inflammatory cascade that affects methionine (Met) and Hcy metabolism (i.e. 1-carbon metabolism) leading to HHcy. Secondly, metabolic dysregulation during chronic conditions increases inflammation leading to decrease in vitamins, specifically B6, B12 and folic acid that play important roles in Hcy metabolism. Also, given the folate level in HHcy state that is important during dysbiosis, these two conditions appear to be intimately related, and in this context HHcy induced dysbiosis may be one of the potential causes of periodontal disease. This paper sums-up the link between periodontitis and HHcy, with a special emphasis on “oral-gut microbiome axis” and the potential probiotic intervention towards warding-off some of the serious periodontal disease conditions