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Periodontitis in ischemic stroke: impact of Porphyromonas gingivalis on thrombus composition and ischemic stroke outcomes

Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis December 2023

Aurélien Freiherr Von Seckendorff, Mialitiana Solo Nomenjanahary, Julien Labreuche, Véronique Ollivier, Lucas Di Meglio, Sebastien Dupont, Mylène Hamdani, Nahida Brikci-Nigassa, Adrian Brun, Perrine Boursin, Michel Piotin, Mikael Mazighi, Benoit Ho-Tin-Noé, Jean-Philippe Désilles, Sandrine Delbosc, on behalf of thecompoCLOT study group

Abstract

Background

Periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear.

Objectives

Our objective was to determine whether Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), a periodontal bacterium, could be detected within thrombus aspirates, modify thrombus composition, and endovascular therapy responses.

Methods

The presence of Pg gingipain in 175 consecutive thrombi from patients with large vessel occlusion stroke enrolled in the multicenter research cohort compoCLOT was investigated by immunostaining. Thrombus blood cell composition according to gingipain status was analyzed in a subset of 63 patients.

Results

Pg gingipain immunostaining was positive in 33.7% of thrombi (95% CI, 26.7%-40.8%). The percentage of near to complete reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction Score 2c/3) at the end of the procedure was lower in the Pgpos group than the Pgneg group (39.0% vs 57.8% respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.19-0.77). At 3 months, 35.7% of patients in the Pgpos group had a favorable neurological outcome vs 49.5% in the Pgneg group (odds ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.30-1.40). Quantitative analysis of a subset of 63 thrombi showed that neutrophil elastase content was significantly (P < .05) higher in Pgpos thrombi than in Pgneg thrombi.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that intrathrombus Pg gingipain is associated with increased neutrophil content and resistance to endovascular therapy.