title: Adhesion of Porphyromonas gingivalis serotypes to pocket epithelium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Porphyromonas gingivalis, a key pathogen in periodontitis, is able to adhere to and invade the pocket epithelium. Different capsular antigens of P. gingivalis have been identified (K-serotyping). These P. gingivalis capsular types show differences in adhesion capacity to human cell lines or to cells cultured on a feeder layer or stromal equivalent.
  
  
  METHODS
  The adhesion capacity of different P. gingivalis serotypes (6 capsular types and non-encapsulated strains) was compared on in vitro cultured epithelial monolayers from periodontal pockets of patients with periodontitis. The degree of adherence of P. gingivalis was evaluated by both culture and fluorescence microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non-encapsulated strains adhered significantly more than their capsulated variants. Capsule type 4 (K-4) adhered slightly better than the remaining K-types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that the presence and type of capsule have a significant influence on the initial adhesion of P. gingivalis to human periodontal pocket epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, School of Dentistry, Oral Pathology and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Department of Periodontology, Leuven, Belgium. Kurt.Dierickx@med.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dierickx
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pauwels
authors.forename: Marja L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Eldere
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cassiman
authors.forename: Arie J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Winkelhoff
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Steenberghe
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quirynen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes