Periodontopathic bacteria in children with Down syndrome

Background: It is widely known that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) oft en develop severe early-onset periodontal diseases. In this study, we exami ned the prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria in DS children to determine if specific pathogens are acquired in their childhood, Methods: The subjects were 60 DS children (2 to 13 years old, 5 in each age bracket) and 60 age-matched controls. Ten pathogens, Actinobacillus actino mycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, P. nigrescens, Capnocytophaga ochracea, C. sputigena, Campyrobacter rectus, and Eikenella corrodens were surveyed i n subgingival plaque samples using a polymerase chain reaction. Periodontal status was evaluated by probing depth, bleeding on probing, and gingival i ndex. Results: No significant difference in periodontal status was observed betwe en the DS and control groups, however, all of the pathogens were detected w ith greater frequency in the DS children. B. forsythus, T denticola, P. nig rescens, and C. rectus were significantly prevalent throughout all age brac kets of the DS children (P <0.01 or 0.05), The occurrence of P. gingivalis was also significant in the DS subjects over 5 years old. A cluster analysi s of the microbial profiles of the DS subjects showed that gingivitis sever ity was associated with increased varieties of the harboring pathogens and the distribution of P. gingivalis. Conclusions: These results suggest that various periodontopathogens can col onize in the very early childhood of DS patients and maturation of subgingi val components, including P. gingivalis, plays an important role in the ini tiation of gingival inflammation.