title: Detection of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in dental plaque samples from children 2 to 12 years of age.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to detect the presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in plaque samples from 104 children, collected from their toothbrushes using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The age range of all subjects was 2-12 years. 21, 73 and 10 children with healthy gingiva, gingivitis and periodontitis respectively were selected. Plaque samples were collected from all erupted teeth sites using a sterile toothbrush. The mean concentration of DNA recovered from brushing plaque samples was approximately 660 microg/ml, which was sufficient for performing a PCR-based survey. Both A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were detected in the primary and mixed dentition. The prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans in healthy subjects was 4.8%, and those with gingivitis and periodontitis was 6.8% and 20.0% respectively, while the prevalence of P. gingivalis was 4.8% in healthy subjects, and 9.6% and 20.0% in those with gingivitis and periodontitis, respectively. Our survey, using a toothbrush, indicated that A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis are rarely present in oral cavities of healthy children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hiroshima University School of Dentistry, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagasaka
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial