title: Investigation of oral opportunistic pathogens in independent living elderly Japanese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pneumonia is reported to be associated with high morbidity in elderly and compromised individuals, with poor oral health demonstrated to be a significant risk factor for pneumonia. Several opportunistic pathogens, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, have been detected in patients with pneumonia. We investigated the prevalence of opportunistic pathogens in the oral cavity of healthy independent living Japanese elderly subjects and analysed factors related to harbouring those pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 265 subjects, each of whom received a dental examination, during which specimens were collected with a tongue swab and examined for the presence of 10 oral opportunistic pathogens using single or multiple selective media. Furthermore, the presence of occult blood in saliva was examined using test paper strips.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral opportunistic pathogens were detected in 13.6% of the subjects. Those positive for occult blood in saliva had a significantly higher rate of harbouring the pathogens (p < 0.05). In addition, age was a significant factor for the presence of pathogenic microbes in the oral cavity (p = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive findings of occult blood in saliva and older age are suggested to be significant factors for harbouring opportunistic pathogens in the oral cavity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Taiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikebe
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enoki
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murai
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007564:Japan; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D009780:Occult Blood; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology