Porphyromonas gingivalis and adverse pregnancy outcome

Abstract

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative, anaerobic bacterium considered to be an important pathogen of periodontal disease that is also implicated in adverse pregnancy outcome (APO). Until recently, our understanding of the role of P. gingivalis in APO has been limited and sometimes contradictory. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of past and current research on P. gingivalis that addresses some of the controversies concerning the role of this organism in the pathogenesis of APO.

Keywords

• Porphyromonas gingivalis
• preeclampsia
• preterm delivery
• fetal growth restriction
• defective deep placentation
• uterine NK cells
• decidual macrophages