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Review
. 2019 Jan 9;11(1):1563410.
doi: 10.1080/20002297.2018.1563410. eCollection 2019.

Possible role of Porphyromonas gingivalis in orodigestive cancers

Affiliations
Review

Possible role of Porphyromonas gingivalis in orodigestive cancers

Ingar Olsen et al. J Oral Microbiol. .

Abstract

There is increasing evidence for an association between periodontitis/tooth loss and oral, gastrointestinal, and pancreatic cancers. Periodontal disease, which is characterized by chronic inflammation and microbial dysbiosis, is a significant risk factor for orodigestive carcinogenesis. Porphyromonas gingivalis is proposed as a keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis causing both dysbiosis and discordant immune response. The present review focuses on the growing recognition of a relationship between P. gingivalis and orodigestive cancers. Porphyromonas gingivalis has been recovered in abundance from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Recently established tumorigenesis models have indicated a direct relationship between P. gingivalis and carcinogenesis. The bacterium upregulates specific receptors on OSCC cells and keratinocytes, induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition of normal oral epithelial cells and activates metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-8 in cultures of the carcinoma cells. In addition, P. gingivalis accelerates cell cycling and suppresses apoptosis in cultures of primary oral epithelial cells. In oral cancer cells, the cell cycle is arrested and there is no effect on apoptosis, but macro autophagy is increased. Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes distant metastasis and chemoresistance to anti-cancer agents and accelerates proliferation of oral tumor cells by affecting gene expression of defensins, by peptidyl-arginine deiminase and noncanonical activation of β-catenin. The pathogen also converts ethanol to the carcinogenic intermediate acetaldehyde. In addition, P. gingivalis can be implicated in precancerous gastric and colon lesions, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, head and neck (larynx, throat, lip, mouth and salivary glands) carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer. The fact that distant organs can be involved clearly emphasizes that P. gingivalis has systemic tumorigenic effects in addition to the local effects in its native territory, the oral cavity. Although coinfection with other bacteria, viruses, and fungi occurs in periodontitis, P. gingivalis relates to cancer even in absence of periodontitis. Thus, there may be a direct relationship between P. gingivalis and orodigestive cancers.

Keywords: Porphyromonas gingivalis; colon; direct relationship; esophagus; experimental models; oral cavity; orodigestive cancers; pancreas; precancerous lesions.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Factors contributing to oral cancer. Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking, consumption of alcohol, obesity, and poor oral hygiene increase the incidence of periodontal disease and inflammation in the oral mucosa. Porphyromonas gingivalis, as a major contributor in the etiology of periodontal disease, is a keystone pathogen, which facilitates dysbiosis, and can also invade epithelial cells and modify the cellular environment intra-and extra-cellularly. Additionally, the increase of danger signals, such as ATP and other alarmins, and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines create a chronic inflammatory state in the oral cavity associated with periodontal disease. Microbial factors, chronic inflammation associated with periodontal disease, and general poor lifestyle choices induce genetic and epigenetic changes in the cell, which may promote orodigestive cancer development and progression.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Porphyromonas gingivalis promoting the development and progression of OSCC. Infection: Intracellular Porphyromonas gingivalis infection promotes survival and proliferation of the epithelial cell by increasing PI3K/Akt signaling shortly after infection, resulting in the inhibition of intrinsic apoptosis. Additionally, through secretion of its effector protein, nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), P. gingivalis blocks extracellular ATP/P2X7 danger signaling, protecting itself and the host epithelial cell from damaging mitochondrial and NOX2 generated ROS. EMT: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is promoted through the inactivation of GSK3-β, which facilitates a switch from E-cadherin to Vimentin via increased expression and availability of Snail, Slug and β-catenin transcription factors. β-catenin also upregulates cyclins, ZEB1, and MMPs, resulting in increased epithelial cell proliferation and migration. Porphyromonas gingivalis continues to promote EMT through direct phosphorylation of HSP27 via its effector protein NDK, leading to increased levels of pro-MMP9. Furthermore, P. gingivalis increases the expression of cancer stem cell markers CD44 and CD133. OSCC Progression: P. gingivalis further maintains a pro-survival and proliferative phenotype in cancer cells by blocking p53. An invasive phenotype is promoted through gingipains – key virulence factors of P. gingivalis – which bind and process pro-MMP9 to MMP9. Moreover, P. gingivalis modulates the immune environment through cytokine and chemokine secretion and the increased expression of B7-H1 and B7-DC receptors which cause T-cell anergy and apoptosis of activated T cells.

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