Innate immune recognition of invasive bacteria accelerates atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Background: Infectious diseases have emerged as potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Epidemiological studies support a connection between periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth, and CVD.

Methods And Results: To directly test the connection between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis, apoE-/- mice were orally challenged with the periodontal disease pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis or an invasion-impaired P gingivalis fimbriae-deficient mutant (FimA-).