People who are infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a group of bacteria responsible for various gum diseases, are at higher risk for acquiring esophageal cancer. The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the throat with the stomach.
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| Image source: www.scientificamerican.com |
The correlation between P. gingivalis and esophageal cancer was made after a group of researchers from the University of Louisville (UofL) School of Dentistry found that 61 percent of patients with esophageal cancer were carriers of P. gingivalis.
"These findings provide the first direct evidence that P. gingivalis infection could be a novel risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and may also serve as a prognostic biomarker for this type of cancer," revealed Dr. Huizhi Wang, assistant professor of oral immunology and infectious diseases at the UofL School of Dentistry.
Dr. Wang stated that their data, if confirmed, shows that the “eradication of a common oral pathogen may contribute to a reduction in the significant number of people suffering with ESCC.”
Using tissue samples from 100 patients with ESCC and 30 normal controls, the researchers measured the presence of the oral bacteria in the esophageal tissues of their subjects. At the end of their study, they found that bacterial count of P. gingivalis is higher among ESCC patients. The presence of these bacteria, they hypothesized, “facilitates the development of esophageal cancer.”
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| Image source: www.webmd.com |
Domenick Coletti DDS specializes in full-scope oral surgery at Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery P.A. Follow this Twitter page for more news in oral health.
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