Maternal chronic oral infection with periodontitis and pericoronitis as a possible risk factor for preeclampsia in Egyptian pregnant women (microbiological and serological study)

BackgroundSeveral studies have hypothesized that oral infection may increase the risk of preeclampsia. We explore the relationship between chronic oral infection and the risk of preeclampsia in Egyptian pregnant women.MethodologyForty preeclamptic women with periodontitis and/or pericoronitis (group I) and 40 control subjects having periodontitis and/or pericoronitis (group II) were subjected to microbiological assessment of subgingival plaque, pseudo-pocket and placental samples. TNF-α was determined in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva and serum by ELISA and real time PCR.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the two groups as regards to subgingival plaque and pericoronal pseudo-pocket organisms revealed by culture and PCR. The total number of anaerobes in blood and placental samples was higher in preeclamptic group than controls. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups as regards to the level of TNF-α by ELISA in serum (P-value = 0.021).ConclusionThere was a relationship between chronic oral infection and preeclampsia, so treatment of oral infection during pregnancy may represent a novel approach and preventive strategy that reduce oral bacterial load which would decrease the incidence of preeclampsia.