Detection of Mycoplasma fermentans in saliva sampled from infants, preschool and school children, adolescents and adults by a polymerase chain reaction-based assay

Attempts were made to detect Mycoplasma fermentans in saliva sampled from 2 01 subjects (108 males and 93 females) aged from 4 months to 59 years by a polymerase chain reaction-based assay, M. fermentans was detected in saliva from 110 (54.7%) of 201 subjects, and 10 (28.6%) of 35 subjects aged from 4 months to 3 Sears. Of ten positive subjects, three were aged from 16 to 2 3 months and five were from 26 to 31 months. The incidence tended to increa se with age up to the teens. The incidence was significantly greater in tee nagers than in subjects aged from 7 to 12 years, but there was no significa nt difference in the incidence between the group of teenagers and each of t he groups of subjects older than the teenagers. Thus, it was suggested that nl, fermentans colonized the mouth at the age of about 16 months up to the age of 19 years.