title: Characteristics of periodontal microflora in acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Periodontitis has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Systemic reactions associated with cardiovascular events may depend on characteristics of the subgingival microflora in periodontitis. Our objectives were to compare the numbers of cultivable bacteria, composition of subgingival microflora and clonal distribution of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) in two groups of patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP), one with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI-GCP) and the other one without AMI (non-AMI-GCP).
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 150 dentate individuals were screened for suitability to this study. Subgingival bacterial samples were collected from 11 AMI-GCP and 11 non-AMI-GCP patients who had been selected using strict inclusion criteria in an attempt to exclude confounding factors and to increase comparability of periodontal conditions by matching for periodontal probing depths and attachment levels. Culture methods were used to determine the total viable counts and occurrence and proportions of six periodontal bacterial species and yeasts. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect A. actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). Intraspecies characterization of A. actinomycetemcomitans included serotyping and genotyping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean proportions of P. gingivalis (P = 0.05) and Tannerella forsythensis (T. forsythensis) (P = 0.01) were significantly lower, but the numbers of Micromonas micros (M. micros) and A. actinomycetemcomitans were up to nine times higher and the mean total number of cultivable bacteria per sample higher (P <0.01) in AMI-GCP than in non-AMI-GCP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings that no target subgingival species were overrepresented but the total bacterial number was higher in AMI-GCP than non-AMI-GCP patients may provide support to the hypothesis that elevated numbers of bacteria in close vicinity to sterile parenteral area present a risk for systemic health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Education, University of Marmara, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Başak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doĝan
authors.forename: Eralp
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buduneli
authors.forename: Gülnur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Emingil
authors.forename: Gül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Atilla
authors.forename: Azem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akilli
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Antinheimo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lakio
authors.forename: Sirkka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asikainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000382:microbiology*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D012703:Serotyping; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric