Disease Severity Associated with Presence in Subgingival Plaque of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Tannerella forsythia, Singly or in Combination, as Detected by Nested Multiplex PCR

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol. 46; no. 10; pp. 3380 - 3383
• Main Authors: Ready, D, D'Aiuto, F, Spratt, D.A, Suvan, J, Tonetti, M.S, Wilson, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-10-2008; American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subjects: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - isolation & purification; Bacteriology; Bacteroidetes - isolation & purification; Biological and medical sciences; Dental Plaque - microbiology; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemorrhage; Humans; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Periodontal Pocket - pathology; Periodontitis - microbiology; Periodontitis - pathology; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Porphyromonas gingivalis - isolation & purification; Severity of Illness Index; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Nested polymerase chain reaction; Microbiology; Multiplex polymerase chain reaction; Stomatology; Dental disease; Dental plaque; Bacteroidaceae; Infection; Pasteurellaceae; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Severity score; Detection
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01007-08

This study used a nested multiplex PCR method to detect three periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque collected before treatment and at 2 and 6 months posttreatment from 107 patients with severe, generalized periodontitis. The proportions of the patients who harbored these bacteria before periodontal treatment were as follows: Tannerella forsythia, 81%; Porphyromonas gingivalis, 78%; and Aggregatibacter (formerly Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans, 47%. At 2 months posttreatment there was a significant reduction in the numbers of patients harboring P. gingivalis (46%; P < 0.001) or T. forsythia (63%; P = 0.043) but not A. actinomycetemcomitans (50%) compared to pretreatment data. At 6 months posttreatment, significantly fewer patients harbored P. gingivalis (43%; P < 0.001); A. actinomycetemcomitans, (31%; P = 0.025), or T. forsythia (63%; P = 0.030). Interestingly, at baseline and at 2 months posttherapy, subjects who harbored only a single pathogen had a greater level of periodontal disease than subjects who harbored two, or all three, of these periodontal pathogens. These data suggest that a reduction in the number of species present may be associated with an increase in the severity of periodontal diseases.