Marco
Grrrrrrr!
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- Near Cognac, France
Chronic infection has long been proposed as underlying ME/CFS but evidence is lacking leading some to propose various models of 'occult' infection from latent viruses to gut translocation to vagal nerve infection etc. As an apparent non-viral onset PWME infection has never been top of my list of possibilities.
Found out yesterday though that I have well established peridontal (gum) disease. I usually don't have significant problems with my teeth to the extent that I can go a decade without visiting a dentist. Just over a month ago however I had quite severe pain in my jaw and then a lump appeared just before Xmas. Turns out it's an abcess (a first for me) and I have a deep infection of the gums and possibly bone that erupted as an abcess and has undermined the supporting tissues around three teeth (they move). Apparently this is a long term process which begins with gingivitis. How long term? he reckoned 15 years off the top of his head and I've had bleeding gums all my adult life (so did my mother - there's a genetic component it seems).
So it turns out I've been harboring a chronic pretty much asymptomatic (as far as the teeth are concerned) infection for many years.
Scientists however propose that periodontal disease (PDD) may contribute to vascular disease and possibly Alzheimer's disease by way of chronic low grade systemic inflammation's impact on primed microglia.
"We propose that bacterial and viral infections commonly found in PDD may impact the brain, either directly or via systemic signals to the brain, and contribute to the development of AD. Periodontal infections may result in harmful pathogenic products leading to systemic inflammatory responses. Elevated systemic inflammatory response may contribute to the exacerbation of existing brain pathologies. Infections may also contribute to vascular pathology with the potential to impact brain function. PDD and AD may also share common risk factors such as genetic polymorphisms related to production of inflammatory mediators."
Inflammation as a potential mediator for the association between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626915/
PS - I'm not necessarily proposing that peridontal disease caused my ME/CFS but it may not be helping it.
Found out yesterday though that I have well established peridontal (gum) disease. I usually don't have significant problems with my teeth to the extent that I can go a decade without visiting a dentist. Just over a month ago however I had quite severe pain in my jaw and then a lump appeared just before Xmas. Turns out it's an abcess (a first for me) and I have a deep infection of the gums and possibly bone that erupted as an abcess and has undermined the supporting tissues around three teeth (they move). Apparently this is a long term process which begins with gingivitis. How long term? he reckoned 15 years off the top of his head and I've had bleeding gums all my adult life (so did my mother - there's a genetic component it seems).
So it turns out I've been harboring a chronic pretty much asymptomatic (as far as the teeth are concerned) infection for many years.
Scientists however propose that periodontal disease (PDD) may contribute to vascular disease and possibly Alzheimer's disease by way of chronic low grade systemic inflammation's impact on primed microglia.
"We propose that bacterial and viral infections commonly found in PDD may impact the brain, either directly or via systemic signals to the brain, and contribute to the development of AD. Periodontal infections may result in harmful pathogenic products leading to systemic inflammatory responses. Elevated systemic inflammatory response may contribute to the exacerbation of existing brain pathologies. Infections may also contribute to vascular pathology with the potential to impact brain function. PDD and AD may also share common risk factors such as genetic polymorphisms related to production of inflammatory mediators."
Inflammation as a potential mediator for the association between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626915/
PS - I'm not necessarily proposing that peridontal disease caused my ME/CFS but it may not be helping it.