Bacterial antagonism against periodontopathogens.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the current study is to compare the prevalence of commensal bacteria, with beneficial properties, for healthy and diseased individuals and additionally to examine the inhibitory effect of some commercial dietary probiotics on periodontopathogens, comparing this inhibitory effect to that of orally derived beneficial bacteria.


METHODS
Subgingival plaque samples from 35 patients (healthy and periodontitis patients) were analyzed. Growth inhibition of the periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was examined using the agar overlay technique and agar well diffusion method. The quantification of the inhibitory effect was checked with the agar well diffusion method.


RESULTS
Using the agar overlay technique, the prevalence of strains antagonistic toward P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans, and F. nucleatum was found to be higher in healthy individuals than in individuals with periodontitis, but this could not be validated by the agar well diffusion assay. Compared with the antagonistic activity of the isolated strains, the probiotic strains overall showed a stronger inhibition of the periodontal pathogens.


CONCLUSIONS
It was shown that some oral bacteria can cause antagonism toward periodontopathogens, and these observations underline the therapeutic potential of applications that stimulate oral health by the application of beneficial effector strains.
Catholic University of Leuven, Department of Periodontology, Leuven, Belgium.
Mark
M
van Essche
Gitte
G
Loozen
Christof
C
Godts
Nico
N
Boon
Martine
M
Pauwels
Marc
M
Quirynen
Wim
W
Teughels
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D000898:Antibiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000187:drug effects; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000502:physiology; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000502:physiology; D052197:Limosilactobacillus fermentum / Q000502:physiology; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000382:microbiology; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D055815:Young Adult