The putative virulence attributes of Fa which influence severity of periodontitis include: adhesion and invasion proteins; oxidative stress resistance; release of toxins that induce cell death; proteins that binds and inhibit complements particularly C3 which is key in complement activation cascade; manipulation or dysregulation of innate immune cells like neutrophils; and production of the adipokine visfatin. The gene discussed is NAMPT; the disease is periodontitis.