Could Periodontal Disease through Periopathogen <i>Fusobacterium Nucleatum</i> be an Aggravating Factor for Gastric Cancer?

• Main Authors: Petra Șurlin, Flavia Mirela-Nicolae, Valeriu Marin-Șurlin, Ștefan Pătrașcu, Bogdan Silviu Ungureanu, Andreea Cristiana-Didilescu, Dan Ionuț-Gheonea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: periodontitis; <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i>; gastroenterological cancer; gastric cancer
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/12/3885

Periodontal disease affects the supporting tissues of the teeth, being a chronic inflammatory disease caused by specific microorganisms from subgingival biofilm. <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i> is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that acts as a periodontal pathogen, being an important factor in linking Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the periodontal biofilm, but its involvement in systemic diseases has also been found. Several studies regarding the implication of <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i> in gastro-enterological cancers have been conducted. The present review aims to update and systematize the latest information about <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i> in order to evaluate the possibility of an association between periodontal disease and the evolution of gastroenterological cancers through the action of <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i>, highlighting gastric cancer. This would motivate future research on the negative influence of periodontal pathology on the evolution of gastric cancer in patients suffering from both pathologies.