Variation in the Occurrence of fimA Genotypes of Porphyromonas gingivalis in Periodontal Health and Disease

Abstract

Porphyromonas gingivalis is regarded as a “keystone pathogen” in periodontitis. The fimbria assists in the initial attachment, biofilm organization, and bacterial adhesion leading to the invasion and colonization of host epithelial cells. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of fimA genotypes in patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy individuals in the Indian population, and to study their association with the number of P. gingivalis cells obtained in subgingival plaque samples of these subjects. The study comprised 95 samples from the chronic periodontitis (CP) group and 35 samples from the healthy (H) group, which were detected positive for P. gingivalis in our previous study. Fimbrial genotyping was done by PCR and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The fimA type II was more prevalent in the CP group (55.89%), followed by type IV (30.52%), whereas in the H group, type I was the most prevalent fimbria (51.42%). The quantity of P. gingivalis cells increased with the presence of fimA types II and III. Our results suggest a strong relationship between fimA types II and IV and periodontitis, and between type I and the healthy condition. The colonization of organisms was increased with the occurrence of type II in deep periodontal sites, which could play an important role in the progression of the disease.

TLR2 Activation by Porphyromonas gingivalis Requires Both PPAD Activity and Fimbriae

“…We found that most of the tested clinical strains were weak activators of TLR2. Importantly, most carried type II and IV FimA in line with clinical data showing that these types of FimA are the most prevalent fimbriae genotypes detected in periodontitis patients (57)(58)(59). Gene swap studies show that expression of type II (60,61) and IV (62) fimbriae correlates with increased adhesion and invasiveness of P. gingivalis, while type I fimbriae-bearing isolates are more virulent (60).…”

Porphyromonas gingivalis Outer Membrane Vesicles as the Major Driver of and Explanation for Neuropathogenesis, the Cholinergic Hypothesis, Iron Dyshomeostasis, and Salivary Lactoferrin in Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Once this is done, major new phenotypes emerge, and disease processes begin. Ongoing Pg genotyping work (Immoratii et al, unpublished studies) and others [141] have demonstrated and suggest that specific sets of virulence genes of Pg exist (fim A). Assuming that when this transformation occurs or the direct infection with virulent genotypes of Pg occurs, the entirety of the processes described in this paper ensue.…”

Effects of orthodontic treatment on porphyromonas gingivalis, gingipains and gingival inflammation

“…These advantages include sensitivity, simplicity, specificity and rapidity. 18,19 Moreover, it is specific for identification of P.g . The 16S rDNA PCR method was used in this investigation to detect P.g, and the findings showed that it was specific and sensitive for P.g detection.…”