Prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria in aggressive periodontitis patients in a Japanese population.
BACKGROUND
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is considered a major etiologic agent of aggressive periodontitis. Other periodontopathic bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis are also suspected of participating in aggressive periodontitis, although the evidence is controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria and to clarify the microbiological features of aggressive periodontitis in Japanese patients.


METHODS
Subgingival plaque was collected from 50 aggressive periodontitis (AgP) patients (localized 10, generalized 40). Samples from 35 generalized chronic periodontitis (CP) patients and 18 healthy subjects were examined as controls. Plaque samples were examined using culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.


RESULTS
The prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans was relatively low in the localized (20%) and generalized (17.5%) AgP patients, with no significant difference observed in detection frequencies between AgP and the control groups (CP 8.6%, healthy 0%). On the other hand, Tannerella forsythensis (formerly Bacteroides forsythus), Campylobacter rectus, P. gingivalis, and Treponema denticola were frequently detected in localized as well as generalized aggressive periodontitis patients. The prevalence and proportion of P. gingivalis correlated with severity of clinical attachment loss in both localized and generalized aggressive periodontitis.


CONCLUSIONS
T. forsythensis, C. rectus, P. gingivalis, and T. denticola were the predominant periodontopathic bacteria of aggressive periodontitis patients in Japan. Although A. actinomycetem- comitans was also detected in AgP patients, the prevalence of this bacterium was much lower than that of P. gingivalis.
Takeuchi
Yasuo
Y
Periodontology, Department of Hard Tissue Engineering, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
Umeda
Makoto
M
Ishizuka
Motoko
M
Huang
Yi
Y
Ishikawa
Isao
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044883:Campylobacter rectus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018720:Prevotella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014208:Treponema / Q000302:isolation & purification