CYTOKINES - A LINK BETWEEN PERIODONTITIS AND COVID-19 SEVERITY?

2021-16-04 Dentistry

Periodontal inflammation is known to contribute to various systemic diseases. The branch of Periodontal Medicine has gained a lot of importance recently. Interest in the oral systemic link has been growing and a correlation between periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus, stoke, adverse pregnancy outcomes, respiratory infections etc. has been validated through studies.Presently COVID-19 has had a massive negative impact on the population worldwide and its severity has been linked to systemic inflammation. Cytokines play an important role in aggravating COVID-19 symptoms which in turn causes an increase in the mortality rates in these patients. As periodontal disease also leads to systemic inflammation and an increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, COVID-19 severity may also be linked to the presence of periodontitis. Periodontitis is preventable and treatable and the periodontist may play a significant role in controlling the severity in certain COVID-19 patients. This review discusses how the two diseases may be interrelated and how periodontal disease may be an aggravating factor for COVID-19.