ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the possible correlation between coronary heart disease and periodontitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Subgingival plaque samples and coronary atherosclerotic plaques were harvested from a total of 31 patients with periodontitis who scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery. The bacteria DNA was obtained from subgingival plaque samples and coronary atherosclerotic plaques using the chelex-100 method. The extracted DNA was examined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In coronary atherosclerotic plaques samples from the 31 patients, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg, 38.7%), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa, 0%), Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn, 22.6%), Prevotella intermedia (Pi, 12.9%), Bacteroides forsythus (Bf, 38.7%) were detected. The concordant presence of the same periodontal bacteria DNA in subgingival plaques and in coronary atherosclerotic plaques in the same patient was Pg 5 (16.1%), Aa 0 (0%), Pi 2 (6.5%), Fn 4 (12.9%) and Bf 8 (25.8%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The presence of periodontal bacteria DNA in coronary atherosclerotic plaques could indicate that periodontal pathogenic bacteria may play a role in the coronary heart disease process.</p>