Patients with gum disease are more likely to experience severe, potentially life-threatening complications if they contract COVID-19 and need to be hospitalized, according to a new report published online in the Journal of the California Dental Association.

Chronic gum disease, or periodontitis, is characterized by swollen, bleeding gums and bone loss. It produces a bacteria that releases a harmful protein known as IL-6 (interleukin-6). IL-6 is an inflammatory cytokine that can trigger the out-of-control reaction of the immune system known as a cytokine storm.

The report referenced the findings ofa German study of 40 hospitalized COVID-19 patients published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in May. Itconcluded that patients with elevated IL-6 levels were 22 times more likely to suffer respiratory failure and require mechanical ventilation.

“Gum disease has been linked to other breathing ailments, including pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) so we weren’t surprised to find a link to respiratory problems with COVID-19,” said Dr. Shervin Molayem, a U.S. dental surgeon based in Los Angeles
and founder of the UCLA Dental Research Journal, in a news release last week.

“What shocked us was the discovery of the protein’s devastating, life-threatening impact to patients once they’re hospitalized. One tiny, inflammatory protein robbed them of their ability to breathe,” he said.

Molayem and Dr. Carla Pontes, a scientist and health care researcher in South Africa, expanded upon the German study’s results for their Mouth-Covid Connection report. Theynoted that IL-6 can disrupt capillary blood gas exchange in the lungs, contributing to pulmonary failure.

Originally Posted By Fang2⏩

Originally Posted By Fang2⏩

Originally Posted By Fang2⏩