Researchers have found a new link between gum disease and heart disease, highlighting the importance of good oral health.
Scientists at this week’s Society of General Microbiology’s Autumn meeting in Dublin heard of research into the role of heat shock proteins, in a bid to explain the link between oral infection and heart disease.
Professor Greg Seymour from New Zealand’s University of Otago said one theory was the certain proteins from bacteria initiated atherosclerosis and helped it progress, so his team looked at the role of heat shock proteins.
Because heat shock proteins – formed after cells are exposed to stress – are produced by humans as well as bacteria, they can trick the immune system into attacking its own proteins.
"When this happens, white blood cells can build up in the tissues of the arteries, causing atherosclerosis," Professor Seymour said.
Researchers found T cells in the lesions of arteries in patients affected by artherosclerosis.
"These T cells were able to bind to host heat shock proteins as well as those from bacteria that cause gum disease," Professor Seymour said.
"This suggests that the similarity between the proteins could be the link between oral infection and atherosclerosis."
He said this molecular mimicry meant that when the immune system reacted to oral infection, it also attacked host proteins, causing arterial disease.
Source: Society for General Microbiology
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