title: Actinomyces israelii in radicular cysts: a molecular study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the microscopic filamentous aggregates observed in radicular cysts are associated with the molecular identification of Actinomyces israelii. Moreover, to verify whether this bacterium can be detected in radicular cyst specimens not presenting aggregates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microscopic colonies suggestive of Actinomyces were found in 8 out of 279 radicular cyst samples (case group). The case and control groups (n = 12; samples without filamentous colonies) were submitted to the semi-nested polymerase chain reaction to test the presence of A israelii. DNA sequencing was performed to validate polymerase chain reaction results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two and 3 samples in the case and control groups, respectively, did not present a functional genomic DNA template and were excluded from the study. A israelii was identified in all samples of the case group and in 3 out of 9 samples of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although A israelii is more commonly identified in radicular cysts presenting filamentous aggregates, it also appears to be detected in radicular cysts without this microscopic finding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal University de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nathália Rodrigues
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal University de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Gonçalves
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal University de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais Dos Santos Fontes
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatologic Sciences, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Estrela
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Biological Science Institute, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Macedo Farias
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Diagnosis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Augusto Benevenuto
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Biological Science Institute, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carolina Cavaliéri
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal University de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Electronic address: rsgomez@ufmg.br.
authors.forename: Ricardo Santiago
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011842:Radicular Cyst / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA