Capnocytophaga gingivalis and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Novel Insight from Periodontitis Patients.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has increasingly been associated with oral microbiota and chronic periodontal inflammation. While major periodontal pathogens have been extensively studied, the role of Capnocytophaga gingivalis (C. gingivalis) in oral carcinogenesis remains unclear. This study investigated the prevalence and quantified the presence of C. gingivalis in benign oral lesions, oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), and OSCCs, as well as its association with carcinogenesis-related gene expression. Ninety patients with periodontitis were included: 30 with benign lesions, 30 with OPMDs, and 30 with OSCCs. C. gingivalis quantification was performed using qPCR, while relative expression of VEGF, Cyclin D1, PIK3CA, DUSP16, mTOR, and MAPK14 was analyzed by RT-qPCR. C. gingivalis was detected in 2 benign lesions, 11 OPMDs, and 18 OSCC samples (p < 0.001). Overall bacterial burden was significantly higher in OPMD and OSCC groups compared to benign lesions (p = 0.001). Expression of PIK3CA and MAPK14 was significantly increased in the OPMD and OSCC groups. In OSCC samples, C. gingivalis abundance positively correlated with VEGF and Cyclin D1 expression. C. gingivalis showed progressively increased prevalence and abundance across examined lesions and was associated with altered expression of genes involved in carcinogenesis, supporting its potential role in OSCC progression.