ASSOCIATION OF ORAL SPIROCHETES FROM SITES OF PERIODONTAL HEALTH WITHDEVELOPMENT OF PERIODONTITIS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION was to determine whether the presenc e of disease-associated bacteria in health-associated plaque correlate d with susceptibility to periodontitis over time. Sites of periodontal health were identified in 65 adults. Six months later (recall 1), pla que was collected from sites that remained in periodontal health, and specific bacteria were detected using monoclonal antibodies in a micro scopic assay. The spirochete morphogroup was identified by phase contr ast microscopy. The relationship between detection at recall 1 and dev elopment of periodontitis over two successive 6-month intervals (recal ls 2 and 3) was evaluated by means of logistic regression using genera lized estimating equations (GEE), from which odds ratios (OR) were est imated and tested for significance. Significant relationships were def ined as those having ORs with P < 0.05. Ninety-three of 1,032 sites de veloped signs of early periodontitis over the 12-month interval betwee n recall 1 and recall 3. The spirochete morphogroup (OR = 3.13, P < 0. 001) and pathogen-related oral spirochetes (PROS) (OR = 3.68, P < 0.00 1) were significantly associated with healthy sites that developed per iodontitis. The association of Treponema socranskii was not significan t (OR = 3.62, P = 0.0918). Odds ratios for Campylobacter rectus, Eiken ella corrodens, and Porphyromonas gingivalis were less than 2.0 and no t significant. Treponema denticola was not detected in health-associat ed plaque from stable health sites and was detected in only three site s that progressed to periodontitis. These findings indicate that the p resence of PROS and some unidentified spirochetes in health-associated plaque is associated with increased susceptibility to periodontitis.