Possible association of fimA genotype of Porphyromonas gulae with the severity of periodontal disease and the number of permanent teeth in dogs

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that Porphyromonas gulae (P. gulae) significantly contributes to the development of periodontal disease in dogs. Porphyromonas gulae is divided into three subtypes according to the 41-kDa filamentous appendage (fimA), defined as types A, B, and C. This study aimed to elucidate the association between fimA type of P. gulae with the number of permanent teeth, reflecting the severity of periodontal disease. Two hundred twenty-five dogs were categorized by P. gulae fimA type as negative, type A dominant, type B dominant, and type C dominant. The stage of periodontal disease in P. gulae-positive dogs increased with age, particularly in type C dominant dogs. Correspondingly, the number of permanent teeth in P. gulae fimA type C-dominant dogs was significantly lower than that of P. gulae-negative dogs, suggesting there is a significant association between fimA type of P. gulae and the number of permanent teeth resulting from the development of periodontal disease.

Investigation of periodontal disease development and Porphyromonas gulae FimA genotype distribution in small dogs

“…Without considering the number of FimA genotypes detected in the oral cavity, dogs with FimA genotypes A, B, or C of P. gulae have a significantly higher periodontal severity score than dogs with P. gulae -negative, which was consistent with a previous study 10 . In the present study, we also analyzed the number of FimA genotypes, and we found that all dogs with 1 to 3 FimA genotypes have significantly higher periodontal severity scores than the dogs negative for P. gulae .…”

“…Dysbiosis of the human oral microbiome is detrimental to health, leading to periodontal disease. A recent study of 225 mostly small dogs revealed that, within the first 50 months of life, the severity of periodontal disease varied according to the genotype of P. gulae FimA in the oral cavity 10 . This study categorized dogs into only three types of FimA genotypes: A, B, and C; however, the actual FimA genotype distribution in the oral cavity of dogs is classified into seven types (A, B, C, A/B, A/C, B/C, A/B/C).…”

“…Periodontal disease progression and tooth loss are associated with aging 9 . Recent studies have shown that the distribution of the FimA genotypes affects the number of remaining teeth in dogs over 8 years of age 10 . However, previous studies focusing on the FimA genotypes have used 100–200 dogs, and the degree of progression of periodontal disease (the leading cause of tooth loss) in dogs of various ages is unknown.…”