Functional differences of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae in determining periodontal disease pathogenesis: a literature review "Prevalencia de los genotipos FimA de Porphyromonas gingivalis en diferentes poblaciones mundiales: Re- visión de la Literatura"

Porphyromonas gingivalis is implicated in chronic and aggressive periodontitis. This bacterium has numerous vi rulence factors and one is the fimbriae, which is quite im portant for bacterial colonization. Fimbriae are appendices that anchor to the bacterial wall and are comprised of the protein fimbriline encoded by the fimA gene. Thus far, six genotypes have been identified, fimA I to V and Ib. Ge notypes II and IV are associated with periodontal disease, while genotype I is related to gingival health. Genotype identification of P. gingivalis fimA in periodontitis would be important to confirm the pathogenic genotypes and to establish risk at population level. This review is about the P. gingivalis fimA genotype prevalence worldwide. A sys tematic search using Pubmed, Hinary, and Science Direct within the following descriptors: Porphyromonas gingivalis, bacterial adhesion, periodontitis, fimbriae, fimA, genotipi fication was performed to April 2011.