title: Periodontal pathogens in atheromatous plaques isolated from patients with chronic periodontitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been suggested that chronic infections may predispose to cardiovascular disease. The relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease has been a subject of increasing research in recent years. The isolation and identification of periodontal bacteria from atheromatous plaque can contribute to our knowledge of this vascular disease. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify periodontal bacteria from the periodontal pockets of different patients and to compare them with the microorganisms detected in the atheromatous plaques obtained from the same patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical isolates were obtained from 12 patients with periodontal wounds and atheromathous plaques. These samples were cultured in the appropriate bacteriological culture media and incubated in an anaerobic system. Periodontal bacteria were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 12 patients studied, nine presented different periodontopathic bacterial species. In two, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans was present in the periodontal pockets and the respective atheromatous plaques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans in atheromatous plaques and the periodontal pockets of the same patients could indicate a role for periodontal pathogenic bacteria in the atherosclerosis disease process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación Microbiológica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile. cpadilla@utalca.cl
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lobos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hubert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasbun
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Descouvieres
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000302:isolation & purification