title: Transmission of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans between Brazilian women with severe chronic periodontitis and their children.
abstract: This study evaluated the transmission of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) in women with severe chronic periodontitis and their children. Thirty women (mean age = 36.1+/-6.0 years) who were mothers of at least one child aged 7 to 16 years were enrolled. In order to investigate mother-child transmission of Aa, the children were also evaluated when their mothers were colonized by the bacterium. Subgingival plaque samples of each woman were collected from 3 sites (mean probing depth of 7.3+/-1.2 mm and mean clinical attachment level of 7.9+/-1.5 mm) and pooled in reduced transport fluid (RTF). These samples were processed, inoculated onto TSBV-agar selective medium and incubated at 37 degrees C in microaerophilic atmosphere for 5 days. Aa was identified on the basis of colony morphology, Gram staining, catalase and oxidase reactions. Aa was found in 8 out of 30 women. Therefore, 8 children from these women (mean age= 12 +/- 3.7 years) were evaluated, but Aa was found only in 2 of them. Aa strains of the two mother-child pairs were evaluated by arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR), although it was not found similarity between the amplitypes of each pair. No Aa transmission was found between Brazilian women with severe chronic periodontitis and their children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry, School of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. rodrigorego@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rodrigo Otávio Citó César
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Rêgo
authors.forename: Denise Madalena Palomari
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Spolidorio
authors.forename: Sérgio Luiz de Souza
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.forename: Joni Augusto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cirelli
mesh_terms: D000189:Actinobacillus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male