title: Culture-based PCR analysis of plaque samples of Japanese school children to assess the presence of six common cariogenic bacteria and its association with caries risk.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess the presence of six common cariogenic bacteria from Cariostat-inoculated plaque samples of Japanese elementary school children through PCR analysis and check its associations with caries risk testing the validity of Cariostat as a caries risk assessment tool. This epidemiological school-based study investigated plaque samples of 399 Japanese elementary school children. Assessed using the Cariostat, 48.2% of the children had high caries risk. DNA detection of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Streptococcus salivarius, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum and both S. mutans and S. sobrinus was seen in 65.2%, 24.1%, 69.7%, 17.5%, 7.8%, 19.3%, and 17.3% of the participants, respectively. Except for S. salivarius, the presence of all other investigated bacteria resulted in a statistically significant increase among the proportion of subjects with high caries risk. Caries risk assessed using Cariostat was significantly influenced by the presence of cariogenic bacteria. Being a selective medium for cariogenic bacteria, the Cariostat can be a useful and direct source of cariogenic bacterial DNA for PCR analysis while effectively assessing caries risk.
authors: Department of Behavioral Pediatric Dentistry, Okayama University, Okayama City, Japan. omarodis@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors: Omar M M
authors: OM
authors: Rodis
authors: Seishi
authors: S
authors: Matsumura
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Kariya
authors: Yoshihide
authors: Y
authors: Okazaki
authors: Sagiri
authors: S
authors: Ogata
authors: Daniel R
authors: DR
authors: Reissmann
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000235:genetics; D052197:Limosilactobacillus fermentum / Q000235:genetics; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000235:genetics; D016986:Streptococcus sobrinus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral