EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TRANSMISSION OF PORPHYROMONAS-GINGIVALIS AND ACTINOBACILLUS-ACTINOMYCETEMCOMITANS AMONG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS - A REPORT OF 4 SURVEYS

The distribution and transmission of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Acti nobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in 4 families were studied. The famil ies were included, based on the isolation of P. gingivalis from a youn g child or adolescent. The probands of these 4 families were: a 5-year old periodontally healthy boy; a 17-year old girl with severe general ized juvenile periodontitis; an 11-year old girl with prepubertal peri odontitis; 2 sisters, 5 and 17-years old, with untreated severe period ontitis as a component of the Papillon-Lefevre syndrome. All members o f the 4 families were examined clinically and microbiologically for th e presence of P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans. Most of the parents appeared to be adult periodontitis patients; the parents of on e proband were edentulous. Results showed that in all cases at least o ne of the parents was positive for P. gingivalis. On the basis of indi stinguishable restriction endonuclease patterns (REPs) of P. gingivali s and A. actinomycetemcomitans isolates from parents and their childre n, and distinct REPs from unrelated individuals, the present study ind icates that P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans were transmitte d between parents and their children.