Bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry analyses of expression levels and clinical significance of CXCL2 and TANs in an oral squamous cell carcinoma tumor microenvironment of Prophyromonas gingivalis infection

The present study aimed to detect the immunoexpression and clinical significance of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The immunoexpression of P. gingivalis in OSCC tissues was detected via immunohistochemistry (IHC) after P. gingivalis was infected into the TME of OSCC. To identify the differentially expressed genes in the carcinogenesis and progression of OSCC with P. gingivalis infection, microarray datasets ({"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE87539","term_id":"87539"}}GSE87539 and {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE138206","term_id":"138206"}}GSE138206) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The immunoexpression levels of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) and tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) were also evaluated via IHC, and the immunoexpression levels of all three clinical variables were analyzed using χ² or Fisher''s exact tests. The survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the survival curves were compared using log-rank tests. Predominantly strong immunoexpression of P. gingivalis was identified in OSCC samples. CXCL2 was considered to be a differential gene in the two datasets. Immunoexpression of P. gingivalis was positively associated with CXCL2 and TANs expression. Furthermore, P. gingivalis was associated with survival status (P<0.001) and differentiation (P<0.001). CXCL2 was associated with age (P=0.038) and survival status (P=0.003), while TANs were associated with T stage (P=0.015) and clinical stage (P=0.002). These clinical variables were considered to be independent risk factors for the poor prognosis of patients with OSCC. Collectively, the results suggested that the immunoexpression of P. gingivalis may be positively associated with CXCL2 and TANs. In addition, the strong immunoexpression levels of P. gingivalis, CXCL2 and TANs may be associated with a poor prognosis in patients with OSCC.     

赤藓糖醇对牙周致病菌抗菌性能的影响

目的 研究赤藓糖醇对牙周致病菌牙龈卟啉单胞菌(Porphyromonas gingivalis,Pg)、 伴放线聚集杆菌(Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Aa)和粘性放线菌（Actinomyces viscous,Av）生长的影响,探讨不同浓度赤藓糖醇作用后的Pg对牙周膜细胞炎症相关细胞因子mRNA表达水平的影响。方法 将Pg、Aa、Av 3种致病菌接种于0、2、4、8、16、32、64、128 g/L的赤藓糖醇-BHI液中,37℃厌氧培养一定时间,检测其最低抑菌浓度。将Pg分别接种于MIC、1/2、1/4、1/8 MIC 4个赤藓糖醇质量浓度的培养基以及不含赤藓糖醇的培养基,离心并清洗后,加入细胞DMEM培养基重悬,与培养至第4代的人牙周膜细胞共培养24 h,弃上清,裂解细胞,提取总RNA,反转录,实时荧光定量PCR检测IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α的mRNA相对表达量。采用SPSS19.0软件包对数据进行统计学分析。结果 赤藓糖醇对3种细菌的最低抑菌浓度分别为Pg：64 g/L,Aa：128 g/L,Av：128 g/L。不同浓度赤藓糖醇条件下培养的细菌,刺激牙周膜细胞产生IL-1β、IL-6 、TNF-α的能力不同。赤藓糖醇浓度为8 g/L时,炎症因子量与不加赤藓糖醇的对照组无显著差别;浓度升高达到16 g/L时,IL-1β、IL-6 、TNF-αmRNA的相对表达量有所降低,且浓度越高,炎症因子释放越少;但所有实验组炎症因子量始终高于未加细菌的空白对照组（P<0.05）。结论 赤藓糖醇对Pg、 Aa、 Av的生长能力有抑制作用,且在一定范围内,赤藓糖醇质量浓度越高,抑制效果越明显。赤藓糖醇还可通过某种方式对致病菌毒力因子起抑制作用,进而降低Pg的牙周致炎性,减少牙周膜细胞IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α的mRNA相对表达量。     

Synergistic virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola in a murine periodontitis model

Chronic periodontitis is characterized by the destruction of the tissues supporting the teeth and has been associated with the presence of a subgingival polymicrobial biofilm containing Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola. We have investigated the potential synergistic virulence of P. gingivalis and T. denticola using a murine experimental model of periodontitis. An inoculation regime of four intra-oral doses of 1 × 10(10) P. gingivalis cells induced significant periodontal bone loss compared with loss in sham-inoculated mice, whereas doses of 1 × 10(9) cells or lower did not induce bone loss. Inoculation with T. denticola with up to eight doses of 1 × 10(10) cells failed to induce bone loss in this model. However, four doses of a co-inoculum of a 1 : 1 ratio of P. gingivalis and T. denticola at 5 × 10(8) or 1 × 10(9) total bacterial cells induced the same level of bone loss as four doses of 1 × 10(10) P. gingivalis cells. Co-inoculation induced strong P. gingivalis-specific T-cell proliferative and interferon-γ-dominant cytokine responses, and induced a strong T. denticola-specific interferon-γ dominant cytokine response. Only at the higher co-inoculum dose of 1 × 10(10) total cells was a T. denticola-specific T-cell proliferative response observed. These data show that P. gingivalis and T. denticola act synergistically to stimulate the host immune response and to induce alveolar bone loss in a murine experimental periodontitis model.     

Comparison of gingival crevicular fluid sampling methods in patients with severe chronic periodontitis

Background: The analysis of samplings from periodontal pockets is important in the diagnosis and therapy of periodontitis. In this study, three different sampling techniques were compared to determine whether one method yielded samples suitable for the reproducible and simultaneous determination of bacterial load, cytokines, neutrophil elastase, and arginine‐specific gingipains (Rgps). Rgps are an important virulence factor of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the exact concentration of which in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) has not been quantified. Methods: GCF was sampled from four sites per patient (one sample per quadrant using two samples per method) in 36 patients with chronic periodontitis. One week later, the procedure was repeated with alternative methods. Variables determined were loads of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) and P. gingivalis, levels of interleukin‐6 and ‐8, activity of neutrophil elastase, and level of Rgps. Results: The detected cytokine levels were higher using paper strips compared to paper points. Bacteria were found in similar loads from paper strips and paper points. Rgps were only detectable in high quantities by washing the periodontal pocket. The level of Rgps correlated with the load of P. gingivalis. Conclusions: The use of paper strips was suitable for the simultaneous determination of microbial and immunologic parameters. Obtaining GCF by washing can be useful for special purposes. The gingipain concentration in periodontal pockets was directly determined to be ≤1.5 μM. This value indicated that most of the substrates of these proteases by in vitro assays identified until now can be easily degraded in P. gingivalis–infected sites.     

牙龈卟啉单胞菌膜泡诱导牙龈上皮细胞炎性反应的体外研究

目的建立牙龈卟啉单胞菌膜泡诱导牙龈上皮细胞炎性反应的体外模型，探讨牙龈卟啉单胞菌在牙周炎中的致病作用。方法用酶联免疫吸附法检测牙龈卟啉单胞菌膜泡对牙龈上皮细胞前列腺素E2（prostaglandin E2，PGE2）分泌的影响，以实时反转录聚合酶链反应法检测牙龈卟啉单胞菌膜泡对牙龈上皮细胞环氧化物酶（cyclooxygenase，COX）-2和白细胞介素（interleukin，IL）-6、IL-8基因表达的作用。结果牙龈卟啉单胞菌膜泡浓度依赖性地促进了牙龈上皮细胞PGE2的分泌，并使COX-2、IL-6、IL-8的mRNA表达水平显著上调。结论牙龈卟啉单胞菌膜泡诱导牙龈上皮细胞发生的细胞炎性反应，可能是牙周炎发生、发展的重要因素。     

Quantitative detection of periodontal pathogens using real-time polymerase chain reaction with TaqMan probes

Quantitative analysis, with identification of periodontopathic bacteria, is important for the diagnosis, therapeutic evaluation and risk assessment of periodontal disease. We developed a highly sensitive and specific method using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect and quantify six periodontal bacteria: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens. Species-specific TaqMan probe/primer sets were designed according to 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Plaque and tongue debris specimens were collected from 10 patients with advanced periodontitis and 10 periodontal healthy individuals and analyzed. All species, except for P. nigrescens, were detected in samples from diseased sites in significantly greater numbers than in those from healthy sites, whereas greater numbers of P. nigrescens were found in the controls. These results suggest that the present real-time PCR method with the designed probe/primer sets enabled sensitive detection of the six periodontal bacteria, and may also assist future microbial studies of periodontal diseases.     

Purification and characterization of a thiol-protease from Bacteroides gingivalis strain 381

A protease from the culture supernatant of Bacteroides gingivalis 381, which hydrolyzes the chromogenic substrate Na-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA), was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and anion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of this protease was determined by SDS-PAGE to be ca. 49,000. The optimum pH was around 7.6. The protease was stable at neutral pH and up to 40 degrees C. The isoelectric point was 4.9. The enzyme activity was enhanced by dithiothreitol, L-cysteine, and 2-mercaptoethanol and inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, N-ethylmaleimide, and iodoacetic acid.