Arrhythmia culprit could be tied to periodontal disease

A pathogenic oral bacterium could play a role in the development of atrial fibrosis and fibrillation.

In a study published in Circulation, researchers analyzed the relationship between the atrial translocation of Porphyromonas gingivalis, atrial fibrosis and atrial fibrillation. They used mice that had molars infected with P. gingivalis and loop-mediated isothermal amplification to assess the bacteria’s presence in the left atrium. They further collected samples from the left atrial appendages of 68 people with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and used polymerase chain reaction to determine the bacterial number of P. gingivalis.

Among the mice, the researchers observed the translocation of P. gingivalis from the oral cavity to the left atrium through the circulatory system. These mice also demonstrated a higher level of atrial fibrosis and atrial inducibility compared with control mice. In human atrial tissue, the bacterial number of P. gingivalis was positively correlated with the periodontal epithelial surface area, periodontal inflamed surface area and degree of atrial fibrosis.

The researchers indicated that periodontitis could be a driver of atrial fibrosis and fibrillation. The results of their study could illuminate a pathway contributing to the pathogenesis of the arrhythmia.

Read more: Circulation

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