title: Detection of the amoeba Entamoeba gingivalis in periodontal pockets.
abstract: Periodontitis is a public health issue, being one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. However, the aetiology of the disease is still unclear: genetics of patients cannot explain the dispersed or isolated localisation of gingival pockets, while bacteria-based models are insufficient to distinguish gingivitis and periodontitis. The possible role of parasites in the establishment of periodontitis has been poorly studied until now. The aim of this project was to study a potential link between colonisation of gingival crevices by the amoeba Entamoeba gingivalis and periodontitis. In eight different dental clinics in France, samples were taken in periodontal pockets (72) or healthy sites (33), and submitted to microscopic observation and molecular identification by PCR with a new set of primers designed to specifically detect E. gingivalis. This blind sample analysis showed the strong sensitivity of PCR compared with clinical diagnosis (58/72 = 81%), and microscopy (51/65 = 78%). The results of this work show that the parasites detected by microscopy mainly - if not exclusively - belong to the species E. gingivalis and that the presence of the parasite is correlated with periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France - Institut International de Parodontie, Nice, France.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Amard
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bar-Pinatel
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chatard
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Desmuyck
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ihler
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rochet
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roux de La Tribouille
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saladin
authors.affiliation: Association Médicale contre les Infections Buccales (AMIB), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verdy
authors.affiliation: Immune Activation Laboratory, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gironès
authors.affiliation: Immune Activation Laboratory, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fresno
authors.affiliation: Immune Activation Laboratory, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santi-Rocca
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004747:Entamoeba / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D021521:Ribotyping; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal