title: Serotype diversity of Streptococcus mutans and caries activity in children in Argentina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to analyse the serotype distribution of S. mutans and their association with caries activity in school children from Córdoba, Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical examination was performed in 133 children. The dmft+DMFT and Significant Caries (SiC) indices were calculated to identify individuals with high caries activity. After DNA extractions of S. mutans strains, serotypes were determined by PCR amplifications. The median caries activity of each serotype group was compared using a non-parametric Kruskall-Wallis test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We obtained S. mutans strains from stimulated saliva of 94 children. The mean dmft+DMFT was 4.14 and the mean SiC index was 8.65. Serotype c was the most frequent (53.2%), followed by e (31.9%), f (8.5%) and k (6.4%). The comparison between the SiC and Non-Sic groups showed significant differences in the frequency of serotypes c and k. The median caries activity was non-significant in the different serotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The difference between the serotype frequencies detected in Argentina compared to those of other countries could be related with contrasting dietary habits. The results obtained in the present study would increase the knowledge about the epidemiology of dental caries in children from Argentina.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Integral Niños y Adolescentes, Área Odontopediatría "A", Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Carletto-Körber
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (CONICET-UNC) Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: González-Ittig
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario de Maternidad y Neonatología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Biología Celular, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cornejo
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics