Capnocytophaga granulosa and Capnocytophaga haemolytica: novel species in subgingival plaque.
BACKGROUND
The oral cavity accommodates one of the most diverse microfloras in the human body. Knowledge of this microflora, and of the periodontal microflora in particular, proves crucial towards an understanding of the bacterial-host interactions which lead to the development of infectious inflammatory periodontal diseases. Capnocytophaga species have been implicated as putative periodontal pathogens. To date, only 3 members of this genus (C. gingivalis, C. ochracea and C. sputigena) have been isolated from subgingival plaque.


OBJECTIVE
This communication reports the isolation of 2 recently-speciated strains, namely C. granulosa and C. haemolytica, from subgingival plaque collected from adult periodontitis patients.


METHODS
Subgingival plaque was collected from 29 patients with chronic adult periodontitis. Plaque samples were inoculated onto fastidious anaerobe agar and incubated anaerobically for 5 days. Routine identification of clinical isolates was performed by 16S rRNA PCR-RFLP analysis, using Cfo I as restriction enzyme and corroborated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.


RESULTS
16 of 29 patients (55%) tested positive for either C. granulosa and or C. haemolytica. A total of 70 isolates (63 C. granulosa and 7 C. haemolytica) were cultivated from subgingival plaque. 15 (51%) patients tested positive for C. granulosa, and 3 (10%) patients tested positive for C. haemolytica.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the 1st report which recounts the presence of C. granulosa and C. haemolytica in subgingival plaque. Further research is required to establish the relative proportions of these species subgingivally in health and disease.
Ciantar
M
M
Department of Microbiology & Periodontology, Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, University College London, 256, Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8LD, UK.
Spratt
D A
DA
Newman
H N
HN
Wilson
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D002206:Capnocytophaga / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S