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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Porphyromonas gingivalis as a Model Organism for Assessing Interaction of Anaerobic Bacteria with Host Cells
Published on: December 17, 2015
Putative pathogenic factors underlying Streptococcus oralis opportunistic infections
Jing-Yi Ren1, Hong-Qiang Yu2, Sheng Xu3
1Department of Implantology, Yantai Stomatological Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China; School of Stomatology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.
Abstract:
Streptococcus oralis, belonging to the viridans group streptococci (VGS), has been considered a component of the normal flora predominantly inhabiting the oral cavity. In recent years, a growing body of literature has revealed that dental procedures or daily tooth brushing activities can cause the spread of S. oralis from the oral cavity into various body sites leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections such as infective endocarditis (IE) and meningitis. However, very little is currently known about the pathogenicity of S. oralis. Thus, the aim of this review is to update the current understanding of the pathogenic potential of S. oralis to pave the way for the prevention and treatment of S. oralis opportunistic infections.
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