DNA-PROBE DETECTION OF PERIODONTOPATHOGENS IN ADVANCED PERIODONTITIS

Species-specific DNA probes were used to determine the presence of Act inobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.), Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Treponema denticola, Eikenella corr odens, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Wolinella recta in subgingival pla que from deep pockets/sites of patients with advanced periodontitis. T he subjects were 20 patients with severe adult periodontitis, 13 men a nd 7 women (mean age 45.6+/-6.7 yr). For each subject, 9-10 subgingiva l sites with the deepest probing depths from each quadrant were sample d by the paper point method, a total of 198 sites, with mean probing d epth 7.2+/-1.6 mm and clinical attachment level 9.5+/-2.7 mm. A.a. was present in at least one site in 75% of the subjects; P. gingivalis wa s found in 95%; P. intermedia and W. recta were found in 90%, respecti vely; and T. denticola, E. corrodens, and F. nucleatum were found in a ll subjects. In the 198 samples, A.a. was detected in 25.8%, P. gingiv alis in 51.5%, P. intermedia in 64.1%, T. denticola in 60.6%, E. corro dens in 72.9%, F. nucleatum in 74.7%, and W. recta in 65.7%. The predo minant combination was the simultaneous presence of P. intermedia, T. denticola, E. corrodens, F. nucleatum, and W. recta in 89.5% of the su bjects and 46.8% of the sites. Of these sites, 51.1% showed the combin ed presence of P. gingivalis and 28.4% that of both A.a. and P. gingiv alis. None of the seven bacteria could be detected in 14.4% of the tot al sites sampled. The present study indicates that severe destructive adult periodontitis is a multibacterial infection and that certain com binations of periodontopathogens seem to be important in the pathogene sis of the disease.