Porphyromonas Gingivalis - A KEY STONE PATHOGEN

Periodontal diseases are multifactorial infections elicited by a complex bacterial species that interact with host tissues and cells some of which lead to destruction of the periodontal structures including the tooth supporting tissues alveolar bone and periodontal ligament. The trigger for the initiation of disease is the presence of complex microbial biofilm that colonize the sulcular regions between the tooth surface and the gingival margin through specific adherence interactions and accumulation due to architectural changes in the sulcus. Porphyromonas gingivalis is the species most highly associated with the chronic form of periodontitis and can be detected up to 85% of the disease sites. The ability of P. gingivalis to modulate the host immune inflammatory cascade by inhibiting IL-8 from gingival epithelial cells deems it as key stone pathogen in orchestrating a host response. More research is going on to study the use of these antigens as vaccine candidates which if used appropriately may have utility as an adjunctive therapy in ameliorating chronic periodontitis.