Researchers have concluded that the way our immune system “learns” from previous threats may actually have a negative impact on areas like inflammation. The researchers used gum disease to investigate their theory. They found that the inflammation caused by gum disease ends up having a negative effect on physical health, and can actually worsen future inflammation-based conditions.
Our immune system is a remarkable thing. It fights diseases, protects us from viruses and can detect any issues that may compromise our safety and overall health.
The various battles that the immune system encounters results in it developing a “memory” of sorts to protect us in the future from similar threats.
This is mostly great for our overall health. But this also has the negative impact of the immune system sometimes responding to something that it determines to be a threat – even if it isn’t.
For example, when the immune system is challenged by an internal driver like chronic inflammation, it can result in a misguided immune system response.
Researchers have looked into the overall process of inflammation, with a specific focus on gum disease. Therefore, this research is very important for oral health.
Background
Some of the authors in this study had previously worked together on research into the “memory” of the immune system. They found that the immune system is capable of memorizing past threats, which helps it to become more responsive to new threats [1].
A trained and responsive immune system is mainly a positive thing. However, this isn’t always the case, as the immune system can sometimes misinterpret supposed threats.
The researchers focused on gum disease in this study. Gum disease is one of the most common dental disorders, with research finding that 47.2% of adults aged 30 and over in the United States have some form of gum disease [2].
Therefore, any research into gum disease can be very useful. A common problem with gum disease is that most people do not realize the impact that gum disease has on our physical health.
The Research
The research was completed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine. Their findings were then published in the journal Cell [3].
The research sought to find out the impact gum disease has on the immune system in terms of future interactions with inflammatory-based conditions.
At first, the researchers exposed a mouse to gum disease. Within a week, some of the cells in the mouse expanded in the bone marrow [3].
The researchers found that the immune system of the mouse was capable of handling the periodontal disease [3]. Therefore, there were limited changes in the cells initially.
However, the researchers soon found that the cells appeared to have memorized the inflammation they were exposed to [3]. Therefore, the researchers found that when triggered by inflammation in the future, the immune system would react differently.
The mouse that was exposed to gum disease then had some cells transplanted to mice that had never previously been exposed to gum disease [3]. A few months later, the mice were exposed to collagen antibodies – which triggered arthritis. Arthritis is also associated with inflammation.
To act as a control, cell transplants were also conducted between mice without any form of gum disease and a group of separate mice [3]. This would allow the researchers to compare findings.
The researchers found that the mice that received the cells from mice with gum disease developed more severe arthritis when compared to mice that received cells from mice that were free of gum disease [3].
Overall, the researchers said that this showed the link between inflammatory conditions. The idea was that this study essentially replicated a bone marrow transplant [3]. The mouse with gum disease acted as a donor, with the healthy mice being the recipient.
The researchers were able to conclude that the mice that received a transplant from the group of mice with gum disease were predisposed to more severe arthritis [3].
Impact on dentistry
This research shows the impact that oral health can have on physical health. If these findings were applied to humans – it would show that those with gum disease are vulnerable to severe arthritis. Furthermore, they would also put those receiving a bone marrow transplant from them at heightened risk of inflammatory conditions.
Professor George Hajishengallis, one of the researchers, talked about the impact of these findings on dentistry. “I’m proud for the field of dentistry that this work, with significance to a wide range of medical conditions, began by investigating oral health”, Hajishengallis said [4].
The researchers also spoke of the wider impact these findings may have. They noted that their conclusions could result in a reconsideration of how bone marrow donors should be selected in the future [4]. The conclusions suggest that some bone marrow donors may unwittingly place their recipient at higher risk of inflammatory disorders.
Thinking points…
1) So many of us suffer from gum disease. As this research shows, gum disease does have a big impact on physical health. Treatments are available though for gum disease – including scaling and root planing. If you do have gum disease, it may be worth discussing treatment options with your dentist at your check-up. Consider booking an appointment today!
2) While you may not think you are at risk of gum disease, the truth is that we all are. A common theme in the news is that gum disease has a big impact on physical health. Therefore, if possible, preventing gum disease is crucial. The easiest way to do this is to have excellent oral hygiene, and attend regular dental check ups. We would recommend booking an appointment now!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that provides a warm welcome and comfortable experience to its patience whenever needed.
Importantly, we recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing regularly. Moreover, eating healthily and trying to avoid sugary foods and drink is helpful.
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a regular dental check-up. When problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Many people find that these treatments have a positive impact on your appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.
References
[1] Hajishengallis, G., & Chavakis, T. (2021). Local and systemic mechanisms linking periodontal disease and inflammatory comorbidities. Nature Reviews Immunology. 21: p426-440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-020-00488-6.
[2] Eke, P. I., Dye, B. A., & Wei, L. (2012). Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010. Journal of Dental Research. 91 (10): p914-920. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034512457373.
[3] Li, X., Wang, H., Yu, X., Saha, G., Kalafati, L., Ioannidis, C., Mitroulis, I., Netea, M. G., Chavakis, T., & Hajishengallis, G. (2022). Maladaptive innate immune training of myelopoiesis links inflammatory comorbidities. Cell. (Pre-publication issue).DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.043.
[4] Baillie, K. U. (2022). How one inflammatory disorder exacerbates another. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-inflammatory-disorder-exacerbates.html. Last accessed: 29th April 2022.
