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Increasing attention has been paid to the possible link between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis over the past decade. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of five periopathogens: Porphyromonas gingivalis ( P.g. ), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ( A.a. ), Tannerella forsythia ( T.f. ), Treponema denticola ( T.d. ), and Prevotella intermedia ( P.i. ) in atheromatous plaques obtained from the carotid and coronary arteries in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery and carotid endarterectomy. Group I (carotid arteries) consisted of 30 patients (mean age: 54.5 ± 14.8), and group II (coronary arteries) consisted of 28 patients (mean age: 63 ± 12.1). Clinical periodontal examinations consisted of plaque index, gingival index, sulcus bleeding index, and periodontal probing depth and were performed on the day of vascular surgery. The presence of periopathogens in periodontal pockets and atherosclerotic vessels was detected using polymerase chain reaction. In both subgingival plaque and atherosclerotic plaque of carotid arteries, P.g. , A.a. , T.f. , T.d. , and P.i. were detected in 26.7%, 6.7%, 66.7%, 10.0%, and 20.0%, respectively, while for coronary arteries, P.g . was detected in 39.3%, A.a . in 25%, T.f . in 46.4%, T.d. in 7.1%, and P.i. in 35.7%. The presence of five periopathogens in carotid and coronary atherosclerotic vessels showed correlation in regard to the degree of periodontal inflammation. The present study suggests the relationship between periodontal pathogenic bacteria and atherogenesis. Further studies are necessary in relation to the prevention or treatment of periodontal disease that would result in reduced mortality and morbidity associated with atherosclerosis., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest exists., (Copyright © 2021 Verica Pavlic et al.)

Objectives: Interest in periodontitis as a potential risk factor for atherosclerosis and its complications resulted from the fact that the global prevalence of periodontal diseases is significant and periodontitis may induce a chronic inflammatory response. Many studies have analyzed the potential impact of the Porphyromonas gingivalis, major pathogen of periodontitis, on general health. The purpose of this study was to find the presence of the Porphyromonas gingivalis DNA in the atherosclerotic plaques of coronary and carotid arteries and in the periodontal pockets in patients with chronic periodontitis, who underwent surgery because of vascular diseases., Methods and Results: The study population consisted of 91 patients with coronary artery disease or scheduled for carotid endarterectomy. The presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis DNA in atheromatous plaques and in subgingival samples was determined by PCR. Bacterial DNA was found in 21 of 91 (23%) samples taken from vessels and in 47 of 63 (74.6%) samples from periodontal pockets., Conclusions: Porphyromonas gingivalis DNA is frequently found in atheromatous plaques of patients with periodontitis. That is why more research should be conducted to prove if this periopathogen may have an impact on endothelium of patients at risk of atherosclerosis.