title: Fimbria-mediated bacterial adhesion to human oral epithelium.
abstract: Oral mucosa biopsies and saliva samples from 12 individuals were processed for transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy with and without ruthenium red staining. Additionally performed microbiological estimations indicated in all bacteriological samples a facultative pathogenic flora. SEM and TEM investigation showed a diverse bacterial flora attached to the mucosal surface. Fimbriae comprising the glycocalyx and enabling bacterial attachment to the epithelial cells could be clearly visualised by ruthenium red. The only mode of bacterial attachment to the oral mucosa detected in the present investigation was fimbria-mediated adhesion and co-adhesion. The fimbria-mediated adhesion enables the bacterial persistence in the oral cavity and is the first step in the bacterial colonisation process.
authors.affiliation: Dental Clinic, Voecklabruck of Upper Austrian Gebietskrankenkasse, Austria. lvitkov@yahoo.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitkov
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Krautgartner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hannig
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001706:Biopsy; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012430:Ruthenium Red; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D012430:Ruthenium Red