Exploring the Role of Fusobacterium nucleatum in Preterm Birth: A Narrative Review

Biagio Rapone; Elisabetta  Ferrara; Ilaria Converti; Matteo  Loverro; Maria Teresa  Loverro; Antonio  Gnoni; Massimo  Petruzzi; Massimo  Corsalini; Salvatore  Scacco; Edoardo  Di Naro

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2020.5409

Authors

Biagio Rapone Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Elisabetta Ferrara Complex Operative Unit of Odontostomatology, Chieti, Italy
Ilaria Converti Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Matteo Loverro Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Maria Teresa Loverro Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Antonio Gnoni Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Massimo Petruzzi Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Massimo Corsalini Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Salvatore Scacco Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Edoardo Di Naro Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.5409

Keywords:

Periodontal disease, Oral microbiome, Pregnancy, Pregnancy outcomes, Preterm birth, Fusobacterium Nucleatum

Abstract

In recent years, substantive attention has been drawn to the relationship between oral microbiome homeostatic equilibrium disruption and systemic health, demonstrating the negative impacts of this reciprocal biological interplay. Increasingly, there is a concern over the potential noxious effect of oral microbiome dysbiosis on obstetric poor outcomes, focusing on preterm birth. This epidemiological observation remains unexplained, although biologically plausible mechanism has been proposed. Intrauterine infection has long been associated with adverse pregnancy, when the elicitation of an immune response is determinant. There is evidence that Fusobacterium nucleatum (FN), a Gram-negative anaerobe ubiquitous in the oral cavity, infects the mouse placenta originating in the decidua basalis. Based on the current data in literature, we performed a review to provide resources for the explanation of the potential impact of microbiome dysbiosis on poor obstetric outcomes, focusing on the role of FN.

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