Relationship between Campylobacter rectus and periodontal status during pregnancy.
BACKGROUND
In a previous study, we showed that the growth of Campylobacter rectus is stimulated by the presence of female sex hormones in the culture medium. In the present study, we examined the relationship between C. rectus levels in the saliva and the periodontal status of pregnant women.


METHODS
Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from 22 pregnant and 15 non-pregnant women. Periodontal pocket depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the concentrations of suspected periodontopathogenic bacteria in the saliva samples. In addition, the concentration of estradiol in the saliva samples was measured by enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
The average age, number of teeth, and total number of bacteria in the saliva of subjects in both groups were similar. The percentage of sites with a PD = 4 mm and the salivary estradiol concentrations were significantly higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women. In addition, the percentage of BOP sites and the C. rectus levels in the saliva of the pregnant women tended to be higher than in non-pregnant women, although these differences were not statistically significant. There were positive correlations between C. rectus levels and estradiol concentrations, and between C. rectus levels and the percentage of sites with PD = 4 mm in the pregnant women.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that C. rectus levels are higher in the oral flora of pregnant women and that this may be associated with increased salivary estradiol concentrations. This may contribute to periodontal disease progression during pregnancy.
Yokoyama
M
M
Department of Preventive Dentistry, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, and Clinic of Dental Hygiene Section, Tokushima University Medical and Dental Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Hinode
D
D
Yoshioka
M
M
Fukui
M
M
Tanabe
S
S
Grenier
D
D
Ito
H-O
HO
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044883:Campylobacter rectus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003817:Dentition; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
D004967:Estrogens; D004958:Estradiol