THE DETECTION OF ACTINOBACILLUS-ACTINOMYCETEMCOMITANS, PORPHYROMONAS-GINGIVALIS AND PREVOTELLA-INTERMEDIA USING AN ELISA IN AN ADOLESCENT POPULATION WITH EARLY PERIODONTITIS

The aim of the study was to compare the occurrence and levels of A. ac tinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, and P. intermedia in the subgingiv al plaque from sites with and without early periodontitis in adolescen ts using an ELISA. 47, 15- to 16-year-old adolescents (39 Indo-Pakista ni, 8 white Caucasian) were examined for clinical attachment level, pr obing depth, supragingival plaque, subgingival calculus and bleeding o n probing on the mesio-buccal and disto-buccal aspects of the Ist mola rs and the incisors. Based on the clinical data. 2 sites per subject w ere selected for subgingival plaque sampling 3 weeks later: in 32 subj ects with loss of attachment greater than or equal to 1 mm, a diseased site (D) and a healthy comparison control site (C) were sampled, in 1 5 subjects in whom loss of attachment had not yet developed, 1 of the upper molar sites was selected, called the at-risk site (R), together with a C site. The presence and levels of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, and P. intermedia were determined using an ELISA. The los s of attachment subgroup had significantly more pockets greater than o r equal to 4 mm, subgingival calculus and bleeding on probing (p<0.05) . Significantly more of the D than C sites had P. gingivalis both at d etectable and at measurable levels (p<0.05). In subjects who had no lo ss in clinical attachment levels, fewer sampled sites harboured any of the suspected periodontopathogens investigated, and no significant di fferences were found between the R or C sites (p>0.05). Although there was a significantly higher prevalence and extent of loss of attachmen t greater than or equal to 1 mm in the Indo-Pakistani subjects compare d with the Caucasians (p<0.05), no differences could be identified in the distribution of the bacteria. It is concluded that monitoring of t he subgingival plaque may be useful in studies of early periodontitis in adolescents, and the role of P. gingivalis needs to be elucidated i n prospective longitudinal investigations.