Cited by 645Oral microbiology and periodontitis researchDental Research and COVID-19Gut microbiota and health

The oral microbiome and the immunobiology of periodontal disease and caries

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Costalonga, Massimo, Herzberg, Mark C.·2014·Immunology Letters

Abstract

The composition of the oral microbiome differs from one intraoral site to another, reflecting in part the host response and immune capacity at each site. By focusing on two major oral infections, periodontal disease and caries, new principles of disease emerge. Periodontal disease affects the soft tissues and bone that support the teeth. Caries is a unique infection of the dental hard tissues. The initiation of both diseases is marked by an increase in the complexity of the microbiome. In periodontitis, pathobionts and keystone pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis appear in greater proportion than in health. As a keystone pathogen, P. gingivalis impairs host immune responses and appears necessary but not sufficient to cause periodontitis. Historically, dental caries had been causally linked to Streptococcus mutans. Contemporary microbiome studies now indicate that singular pathogens are not obvious in either caries or periodontitis. Both diseases appear to result from a perturbation among relatively minor constituents in local microbial communities resulting in dysbiosis. Emergent consortia of the minor members of the respective microbiomes act synergistically to stress the ability of the host to respond and protect. In periodontal disease, host protection first occurs at the level of innate gingival epithelial immunity. Secretory IgA antibody and other salivary antimicrobial systems also act against periodontopathic and cariogenic consortia. When the gingival immune response is impaired, periodontal tissue pathology results when matrix metalloproteinases are released from neutrophils and T cells mediate alveolar bone loss. In caries, several species are acidogenic and aciduric and appear to work synergistically to promote demineralization of the enamel and dentin. Whereas technically possible, particularly for caries, vaccines are unlikely to be commercialized in the near future because of the low morbidity of caries and periodontitis.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.imlet.2014.08.017

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  1. [4]Yang L Chen T Izard J Tanner AC Wade WG Paster BJ The Human Oral Microbiome Database: Updates and New Features Journal of dental research 2014 93
  2. [101]Costalonga M Bittner-Eddy PD Fischer L Gingipain-specific Th17 do not Sustain Anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis IgGs Journal of dental research 2013 92 Abstract #2169
  3. [102]Bittner-Eddy PD Fischer L Thieu K Costalonga M Langerhans cells drive gingipain-specific Th17 differentiation in murine periodontitis Journal of dental research 2014 93 Abstract #43

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Authors
Costalonga, M., & Herzberg, M. C.
Affiliations
University of Minnesota (US)
Corresponding author
Costalonga, Massimo
Venue
Immunology Letters
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-12
Volume
162
Issue
2
Pages
22-38
ISSN
0165-2478 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2074819592
Cited by
645
References
153
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 54 · 2024: 67 · 2023: 71 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 82 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 65 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 1
FWCI
38.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Immunology Letters (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
NIH (DE021206, DE022858)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › General Dentistry › Dental Research and COVID-19
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Keywords
oral microbiota, periodontitis, dental caries, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans, dysbiosis, pathobionts, secretory IgA, matrix metalloproteinases, alveolar bone loss, acidogenic bacteria, enamel demineralization, caries vaccine
MeSH terms
Animals, Dental Caries, Gingiva, Humans, Immunoglobulin A, Secretory, Mouth, Periodontal Diseases, Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Immunity, Mucosal, Microbiota, Dysbiosis

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