"Association of periodontopathic anaerobic bacterial co-occurrence to atherosclerosis" - A cross-sectional study.

Background: Epidemiological studies have shown a link between periodontitis and atherosclerosis. Hence the present study was chosen to assess the presence of eight anaerobic periodontal pathogens and their virulence genes in subgingival plaque (SGP) and atheromatous plaque (AP) of patients with Ischaemic heart disease.

Methods: SGP and AP collected from 65 Ischaemic heart disease patients were screened for the presence of periodontal bacterial pathogens by Polymerase chain reaction.