A Metalloproteinase Karilysin Present in the Majority of Tannerella forsythia Isolates Inhibits All Pathways of the Complement System.
Tannerella forsythia is a poorly studied pathogen despite being one of the main causes of periodontitis, which is an inflammatory disease of the supporting structures of the teeth. We found that despite being recognized by all complement pathways, T. forsythia is resistant to killing by human complement, which is present at up to 70% of serum concentration in gingival crevicular fluid. Incubation