Dental News - Antibiotics may worsen oral infections

Antibiotics may worsen oral infections

New research has shown that the body’s own microbes are effective in maintaining immune cells and combating certain oral infections. (Photograph: nokwalai/Shutterstock)

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 20. September 2018

save

CLEVELAND, U.S.: Scientists have long known that overuse of antibiotics can do more harm than good, resulting for example in antibiotic resistance. However, research into this phenomenon in oral health has been little studied. Now, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found that antibiotics actually kill the beneficial bacteria keeping infection and inflammation at bay.

Dr. Pushpa Pandiyan, an assistant professor of biological sciences in the School of Dental Medicine, led the team in their examination of resident bacteria, their fatty acids and their effect on certain types of white blood cells that combat infections in the mouth. Specifically, the researchers looked at the short-term maintenance of regulatory T cells, which modulate the immune system, and T-helper 17 cells, which are involved in mucosal immunity, in fighting fungal infections, such as Candida, in a laboratory setting. It was found that those natural defenses were very effective in reducing infection and inflammation—and antibiotics can prevent such beneficial responses.

“We set out to find out what happens when you don’t have bacteria to fight a fungal infection,” Pandiyan said. “What we found was that antibiotics can kill short-chain fatty acids produced by body’s own good bacteria. We have good bacteria doing good work every day, why kill them? As is the case with many infections, if you leave them alone, they will leave on their own. Of course, antibiotics are still needed for life threatening infections. No question about that. Our bodies have many natural defenses that we shouldn’t meddle with.”

Needless overuse of antibiotics is not helpful, she added and explained that a link between oral health and overall health definitely exists. Pandiyan said the study could have broader implications for protective effects of resident microbiota in other types of infections.

The study, titled “Role of short chain fatty acids in controlling T_regs and immunopathology during mucosal infection,” was published online in Frontiers in Microbiology on Aug. 24, 2018.