RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF PERIODONTAL INFECTIONS - FINDINGS IN AIDS PATIENTS

A small number of bacterial pathogens in the human oral cavity cause t he different forms of periodontal disease. Of the approximately two hu ndred different oral bacterial species, about a dozen have been associ ated with these diseases including localized juvenile periodontitis, r apidly progressing periodontitis, and adult periodontitis. These speci es include Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus , Campylobacter rectus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Prevotella inter media. Several rapid methods have been developed to detect these speci es in clinical samples. These include immunologic methods such as immu nofluorescence, nucleic acid assays such as DNA-DNA hybridization in d ot blots, and enzyme assays. Immunofluorescence microscopy has been us ed to determine the prevalence and relative proportions of these patho gens in dental plaque samples from 194 subjects including HIV-infected and uninfected male homosexuals and intravenous drug users.