CAMPYLOBACTER-RECTUS IN HUMAN PERIODONTITIS

Campylobacter rectus (formerly Wolinella recta) in periodontitis lesio ns was studied relative to age and sex distribution, relationship to d isease-active periodontitis, response to periodontal debridement and i n vitro antimicrobial susceptibility. Subgingival C. rectus was collec ted with paper points, transported in VMGA III and plated onto nonsele ctive enriched brucella blood agar and Hammond's selective medium for C. rectus, both incubated anaerobically. C. rectus was recovered from 80% of 1654 periodontitis patients. Although the organism showed simil ar age and sex occurrence, its proportional recovery in culture-positi ve adults was inversely related to increasing age (r = 0.999, P < 0.00 1). The organism was positively associated (summary odds ratio = 2.95) with disease activity in a 24-month longitudinal study of 93 adult pe riodontitis patients on maintenance therapy. C. rectus decreased from 8.2% to 0.7% following local periodontal debridement of 20 culture-pos itive adult periodontitis patients. The organism exhibited high in vit ro susceptibility to therapeutic levels of tetracycline hydrochloride, metronidazole, penicillin G and ciprofloxacin. These findings further delineate the epidemiology and potential pathogenic role of C. rectus in human periodontitis.