ABSENCE OF PORPHYROMONAS-ASACCHAROLYTICA, BACTEROIDES-FRAGILIS AND CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE IN HUMAN SUBGINGIVAL PLAQUE

Little is known about the presence of common medical pathogens in the human oral cavity. Using a 16S rRNA-based PCR identification method, t his study determined the occurrence of Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, Bacteroides fragilis and Chlamydia pneumoniae in subgingival plaque fr om 50 adults with advanced periodontitis. Each patient contributed sam ples from 3 deep periodontal pockets collected by paper points. The PC R primers were for P. asaccharolytica 5'-CTC TAG CTA GAG TGT ACT GG-3' and 5'-ATA GGG TTT ATA GAT TAG CTC TCT-3', for B. fragilis 5'-AAT GAT TCC GCA TGG TTT CAT TA-3' and 5'-GCG GTG ATT GCT CAC TGA CA-3', and f or C. pneumoniae 5'-TGA CAA CTG TAG AAA TAC AGC-3' and 5'-CGC CTC TCT CCT ATA AAT-3'. The primers yielded a single amplicon with the respect ive reference strains and produced no amplicon with colonies of 25 gro ups of oral organisms. None of the three test species were detected in any of the 50 pooled subgingival samples tested. P. asaccharolytica, B. fragilis and C. pneumoniae do not seem to be part of the periodonto pathic microbiota in humans.