SUBGINGIVAL MICROBIAL PROFILE OF PAPILLON-LEFEVRE PATIENTS ASSESSED BY DNA-PROBES

The prevalence of 18 selected bacterial species was assessed by means of ''checkerboard'' DNA-DNA hybridisation in a group of 12 Saudi-Arabi an adolescents with Papillon-Lefevre syndrome. A total of 36 tooth sit es were investigated. The patients exhibited severe periodontal diseas e with deep pockets. All 12 patients harboured the putative bacterial pathogens P, intermedia, F. nucleatum, P. micros and S, intermedius wh ile T. denticola, B. forsythus, P. nigrescens, E. corrodens, S. noxia and C. rectus were recovered from 11 patients. P, gingivalis was recov ered from 9 patients and 18 sites while corresponding figures for A. a ctinomycetemcomitans were 8 and 19, respectively. A number of the inve stigated species (B. forsythus, T. denticola, P. intermedia, C. rectus ) reached high levels (greater than or equal to 10(6) cells) in more t han 1/2 of the patients. On the other hand, bacteria such as A. actino mycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were infrequently encountered at hig h levels in these subgingival samples. In conclusion, the analysis fai led to demonstrate a PLS-specific profile of the subgingival infection , since the bacterial composition of the sampled sites closely resembl ed that characterising deep pockets in adult periodontitis patients.