Periodontal Disease and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: New Microbiome-Targeted Therapy Based on the Oral –Gut–Liver Axis Concept

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThere has been emerging data and a growing appreciation of the negative effects of periodontal disease on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is currently the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide. A subgroup of these NAFLD patients develops more severe and progressive forms of liver disease, namely, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which are a risk for developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we will summarize the recent epidemiological, basic, and clinical research findings on the relationship between periodontal disease and NAFLD/NASH and discuss the pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH and potential new treatment options with a particular focus on the gut microbiota.Recent FindingsIn terms of the mechanism by which harmful factors are transported from diseased periodontal tissue to the liver, two routes of transmission have been proposed based on the unique anatomical characteristics of the liver, namely, through a hematogenous diffusion via the systemic circulation and through a gut –liver axis via the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, with respect to enteral diffusion, gut microbiome dysbiosis induced by enteral translocation of periodontopathic bacteria may be involved in NAFLD. In terms of a gut–liver axis, one mechanism assumed to link the gut microbiome to NAFLD i s the disruption of the gut epithelial barrier, which may allow leakage of microbial products and metabolites into the portal circ...
Source: Current Oral Health Reports - Category: Dentistry Source Type: research