title: Prevalence and distribution of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the JP2 clone in a Greek population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to investigate the distribution of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the prevalence of the JP2 clone in subgingival samples of Greek subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  two hundred and twenty eight subjects participated in the present study. Each contributed with one pooled subgingival sample from the mesiobuccal surface of the four first molars. Samples were analysed using polymerase chain reaction for five serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans and the JP2 clone, using primers and conditions described previously. Subjects were stratified according to periodontal status (untreated periodontitis, non-periodontitis and periodontitis patients receiving supportive treatment). Comparisons between and within groups were performed by applying non-parametric tests (Kruskall-Wallis, Pearson χ(2) , z-test with Bonferroni's corrections and Kramer's V-test) at p=0.05 level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  a. actinomycetemcomitans was detected statistically more frequently in untreated patients (27.5%) compared with the other two groups (11.7% for non-periodontitis and 10% for periodontitis patients receiving supportive treatment). No statistical differences were observed concerning the distribution of serotypes among groups (z-test with Bonferroni's corrections p>0.05). Serotype c was more predominant within the periodontally diseased groups (Kramer's V-test p<0.05). The JP2 clone was not detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  a. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b was not statistically correlated with periodontal disease in the investigated sample and the utility of microbiological testing before antimicrobial administration is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Implant Biology, Dental, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. dimisak@med.auth.gr
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sakellari
authors.forename: Athanassia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsikari
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slini
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konstantinidis
authors.forename: Minas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arsenakis
mesh_terms: D000189:Actinobacillus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012703:Serotyping; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric