Gum Disease May Encourage Full-Blown AIDS
Posted on: Thursday, 12 February 2009, 15:57 CST
Gum disease could trigger full-blown AIDS in people already infected with HIV, according to a recent Japanese study.
Researchers report that gum disease produces butryric acid, which blocks an enzyme known as HDAC that stops HIV from growing.
Kuniyasu Ochiai, a professor who chairs the Microbiology Department at Tokyo-based Nihon University, and his research team used in-vitro experiments to show that the virus in two kinds of cells related to the immune system rapidly proliferates after given culture fluid containing gum disease-causing bacteria.
"Serious periodontal disease could lead to the development (of AIDS) among HIV-positive people... although the probability largely depends on individual physical strength," Ochiai said.
“Adult periodontitis is a chronic destructive disease involving host inflammatory responses to Gram-negative bacteria,” researchers wrote.
Severe destructive adult periodontitis is caused by a mixed infection and the combination of certain periodontopathogens, including butyric acid, which has also been shown to be produces by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers in the colon.
"There are fears that even those whose were unaware that they had contracted HIV could develop the epidemic once they have periodontal disease," he said.
Previous research has found evidence to suggest a link between gum disease and diabetes, but the recent study published in the March issue of the Journal of Immunology, is the first to find that it activates HIV, researchers said.
Ochiai as well as Takashi Okamoto, molecular biology professor at Nagoya City University in central Japan and research assistant Kenichi Imai plan to conduct the test on animals as well.
---
On the Net:
Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
Related Articles
- BD Biosciences Launches New Cell Analyzer for Complex Multicolor Experiments in Disease and Drug Development Research
- Research Suggests New Cellular Targets For HIV Drug Development
- Creation of the Swiss Institute for Vaccine Research in Lausanne, Switzerland
- World's Leading STD Researchers Head to Seattle
- Coalition Explores Impact and Recent Data Linking Diabetes Heart Disease and Periodontal (Gum) Disease
- Optimize the Effectiveness of Pharma Patient Adherence and Disease Management Programs With Market Research
- Killer oak disease not native to US: researcher
- Iran's Mottaki quoted: won't suspend research
- Meeting the Challenge of Epidemic Infectious Disease Outbreaks: An Agenda for Research
- Aequitas Presents Findings for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging at International Conference for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research; Research and Analysis Firm Shows Improved Health Outcomes When Imaging Technique is Utilized
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds