Life Science log

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Not brushing your teeth at night may lead to more than just a few cavities.  Some researchers say poor oral hygiene could actually lead to heart disease.They say without regular brushing and flossing, bacteria from plaque can escape into the bloodstream and wreck havoc."Poor dental hygiene can lead to bleeding gums, providing bacteria with an escape route into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots leading to heart disease," Professor Howard Jenkinson, from the University of Bristol was quoted as saying.University of Bristol researchers along with scientists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have shown that once let loose in the bloodstream, Streptococcus bacteria can use a protein on their surface as a weapon to force platelets in the blood to bind together and form clots. "When the platelets clump together they completely encase the bacteria. This provides a protective cover not only from the immune system, but also from antibiotics that mi

"Poor dental hygiene can lead to bleeding gums, providing bacteria with an escape route into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots leading to heart disease," he said.
"When the platelets clump together they completely encase the bacteria. This provides a protective cover not only from the immune system, but also from antibiotics that might be used to treat infection," he said. "Unfortunately, as well as helping out the bacteria, platelet clumping can cause small blood clots, growths on the heart valves (endocarditis), or inflammation of blood vessels that can block the blood supply to the heart and brain."
"We are currently investigating how the platelet-activating function of PadA can be blocked. This could eventually lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease which is the biggest killer in the developed world," said Professor Jenkinson.