Chanomethaporn A, et al. - In matched case-control study that was conducted in 2 tertiary hospitals in Khon Kaen, Thailand, researchers assessed 85 females with spontaneous abortion at < 20 weeks of pregnancy and 85 matched control participants (based on age, gestational age, and hospital) to examine the links between periodontitis, periodontopathic bacteria, and spontaneous abortion. They determined the levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Fusobacterium nucleatum using real-time polymerase chain reaction. They observed an association of elevated levels of P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum with periodontitis. They also noted a link between increased levels of T. forsythia and periodontitis—but only in those with spontaneous abortion at < 20 weeks of pregnancy. Overall, they found that periodontitis was more likely to occur in women with spontaneous abortions vs matched control participants. However, periodontopathic bacteria levels were not associated with spontaneous abortion in this population.