PORPHYROMONAS-ENDODONTALIS - PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESTRICTION ENZYME PATTERNS IN FAMILIES

In this study we determined the prevalence and distribution of Porphyr omonas endodontalis in 26 families consisting of 107 subjects. P. endo dontalis was present in 24% of the investigated subjects and was recov ered most often from the dorsum of the tongue (50%). Isolation was als o possible from the tonsils, the buccal mucosa, the saliva and the per iodontal pocket. The usefulness of restriction endonuclease analysis a s a typing method for this particular species was investigated by typi ng 19 isolates from unrelated individuals. All these isolates had uniq ue restriction endonuclease patterns. The observed heterogeneity indic ates that restriction endonuclease analysis is a sensitive measure of genetic dissimilarity between P. endodontalis isolates and is able to characterize individual isolates. Application of restriction endonucle ase analysis to the obtained clinical isolates in this study shows the possibility of the presence of multiple clonal types within one subje ct. The DNA patterns of all P. endodontalis isolates from unrelated in dividuals were found to be distinct. In 3 families the DNA patterns of isolates from the mother and her child were indistinguishable. These data indicate the possibility of intrafamilial transmission of P. endo dontalis.