OBJECTIVETo explore the possible correlation between coronary heart disease and periodontitis.

METHODSSubgingival plaque samples and coronary atherosclerotic plaques were harvested from a total of 31 patients with periodontitis who scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery. The bacteria DNA was obtained from subgingival plaque samples and coronary atherosclerotic plaques using the chelex-100 method. The extracted DNA was examined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.

RESULTSIn coronary atherosclerotic plaques samples from the 31 patients, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg, 38.7%), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa, 0%), Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn, 22.6%), Prevotella intermedia (Pi, 12.9%), Bacteroides forsythus (Bf, 38.7%) were detected. The concordant presence of the same periodontal bacteria DNA in subgingival plaques and in coronary atherosclerotic plaques in the same patient was Pg 5 (16.1%), Aa 0 (0%), Pi 2 (6.5%), Fn 4 (12.9%) and Bf 8 (25.8%).

CONCLUSIONSThe presence of periodontal bacteria DNA in coronary atherosclerotic plaques could indicate that periodontal pathogenic bacteria may play a role in the coronary heart disease process.

Adult ; Aged ; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ; isolation & purification ; Coronary Artery Disease ; microbiology ; Female ; Fusobacterium nucleatum ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periodontitis ; microbiology ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; microbiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; isolation & purification ; Prevotella intermedia ; isolation & purification