Molecular methods for diagnosis of odontogenic infections.
OBJECTIVE
Historically, the identification of microorganisms has been limited to species that could be cultured in the microbiology laboratory. The purpose of the present study was to apply molecular techniques to identify microorganisms in orofacial odontogenic infections (OIs).


METHODS
Specimens were obtained from subjects with clinical evidence of OI. To identify the microorganisms involved, 16S rRNA sequencing methods were used on clinical specimens. The name and number of the clones of each species identified and the combinations of species present were recorded for each subject. Descriptive statistics were computed for the study variables.


RESULTS
Specimens of pus or wound fluid were obtained from 9 subjects. A mean of 7.4 ± 3.7 (standard deviation) species per case were identified. The predominant species detected in the present study that have previously been associated with OIs were Fusobacterium spp, Parvimonas micra, Porphyromonas endodontalis, and Prevotella oris. The predominant species detected in our study that have not been previously associated with OIs were Dialister pneumosintes and Eubacterium brachy. Unculturable phylotypes accounted for 24% of the species identified in our study. All species detected were obligate or facultative anaerobes. Streptococci were not detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Molecular methods have enabled us to detect previously cultivated and not-yet-cultivated species in OIs; these methods could change our understanding of the pathogenic flora of orofacial OIs.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. thomasrflynndmd@gmail.com
Thomas R
TR
Flynn
Bruce J
BJ
Paster
Lauren N
LN
Stokes
Srinivas M
SM
Susarla
Rabie M
RM
Shanti
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016866:Bacteroidaceae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D060085:Coinfection / Q000175:diagnosis; D005051:Eubacterium / Q000145:classification; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016965:Gram-Negative Anaerobic Straight, Curved, and Helical Rods / Q000145:classification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology; D010462:Peptostreptococcus / Q000145:classification; D045202:Porphyromonas endodontalis / Q000145:classification; D018720:Prevotella / Q000145:classification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S