title: DNA probe and enzyme analysis in periodontal diagnostics.
abstract: Recent research in periodontology has indicated that a finite number of bacterial species are associated with periodontal disease. This has generated the hypothesis that periodontal disease is essentially an infection due to one or more of the putative periodontopathogens; i.e., the specific plaque hypothesis (SPH). This microbial specificity paradigm has already changed the way researchers and some clinicians view periodontal disease. The clinician must heed several cautions signs, however, if he is to use the SPH to provide treatment options that could enhance the delivery of care. There are several diagnostic technologies that can be used to detect and semi-quantitate those bacterial species that have been identified as periodontopathogens. This paper discusses diagnostic tests based upon the detection in plaque of DNA segments or enzyme activity(ies) that are unique for one or more of the suspected periodontopathogens.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Loesche
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001587:Benzoylarginine-2-Naphthylamide; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D016124:Eikenella corrodens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014208:Treponema / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D001587:Benzoylarginine-2-Naphthylamide; D010450:Endopeptidases