Porphyromonas gingivalis: A key role in Parkinson's disease with cognitive impairment?

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a common complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). The major features of Parkinson's disease with cognitive impairment (PD-CI) include convergence of alpha-Synuclein (alpha-Syn) and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like pathologies, neuroinflammation, and dysbiosis of gut microbiota. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is an important pathogen in periodontitis. Recent research has suggested a rote of P. gingivalis and its virulence factor in the pathogenesis of PD and AD, in particular concerning neuroinflammation and deposition of alpha-Synuclein (alpha-Syn) and amyloid-beta (A beta). Furthermore, in animal models, oral P. gingivalis could cause neurodegeneration through regulating the gut-brain axis, suggesting an oral-gut-brain axis might exist. In this article, we discussed the pathological characteristics of PD-CI and the rote of P. gingivalis in them.

Automated summary

Cognitive impairment is a common complication of Parkinson's disease, and the convergence of alpha-Synuclein and Alzheimer's disease-like pathologies, neuroinflammation, and dysbiosis of gut microbiota are major features of Parkinson's disease with cognitive impairment. Recent research suggests a potential role of Porphyromonas gingivalis in the pathogenesis of both Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, particularly in relation to neuroinflammation and the deposition of alpha-Synuclein and amyloid-beta.