Bacterial Invasion of Vascular Cell Types: Vascular Infectology and Atherogenesis

Abstract

To portray the chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis, leukocytic cell types involved in the immune response to invading pathogens are often the focus. However, atherogenesis is a complex pathological deterioration of the arterial walls, where vascular cell types are participants with regards to deterioration and disease. Since other recent reviews have detailed the role of both the innate and adaptive immune response in atherosclerosis, herein we will summarize the latest developments regarding the association of bacteria with vascular cell types: infections as a risk factor for atherosclerosis; bacterial invasion of vascular cell types; the atherogenic sequelae of bacterial presence such as endothelial activation and blood clotting; and the identification of the species that are able to colonize this niche. The evidence of a polybacterial infectious component of the atheromatous lesions opens the doors for exploration of the new field of vascular infectology and for the study of atherosclerosis microbiome.

Periodontal microbiota and microorganisms isolated from heart valves in patients undergoing valve replacement surgery in a clinic in Cali, Colombia

“…Esto puede aumentar la gravedad de la enfermedad y mantener el estado proinflamatorio. Sin embargo, la mayoría de estudios sobre la presencia de microorganismos periodontales patógenos en muestras cardiovasculares, se ha realizado en ateromas (9,11,(31)(32)(33),y en los estudios relacionados con válvulas cardiacas, se han reportado principalmente patógenos como Streptococcus mutans (34).…”

“…El primero tiene que ver con el microbioma periodontal (7), el cual está conformado principalmente por bacterias anaerobias Gram negativas organizadas en biopelículas, con capacidad de generar bacteriemias y migrar a otros tejidos (5,8,9), donde las toxinas y factores de virulencia, como el lipopolisacárido, dan lugar a un proceso de destrucción del tejido induciendo mecanismos de agregación plaquetaria y liberación de especies reactivas del oxígeno (7). Además, bacterias como Porphyromonas gingivalis pueden migrar a los grandes vasos utilizando los monocitos y los eritrocitos (10) y, una vez allí, sus mecanismos de virulencia inducen un proceso inflamatorio y la secreción de mediadores químicos relacionados con la formación de las placas ateromatosas (11).…”

The Infection Hypothesis Revisited: Oral Infection and Cardiovascular Disease

“…Infected periodontal tissue and tooth decay can provide entry for bacteria, virus, and fungi into the circulation and facilitate proliferation of microbiota in vascular tissue at or near the infection site or carriage via the bloodstream to distant sites. Bacteria have shown invasive properties into cardiovascular structures such as arterial walls, aortic aneurysms, and heart valves [52,53]. Viable oral bacteria have been identified in several organs in the body.…”

“…In serum, bacterial DNA can also be identified, as well as a number of inflammatory markers. Pathological examinations have identified oral bacteria in arterial walls, heart valves, atheroma of arteries, and aneurysms [8,18,49,[51][52][53]. The bacteria are identified either as intact specimens or by DNA fragments.…”

“…They were able to cultivate Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Campylobacter recta, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Tannerella Kuramitsu et al [57] have shown that Porphyromonas gingivalis may contribute to foam cell formation in macrophage cultures. Kozarov's [53] overview of bacterial invasion of vascular cells gave an updated insight into many aspects of vascular infectology. He also contributed to the paper by Reyes et al [58] on the same issue of atherosclerotic pathology.…”