Microbiology of destructive periodontal disease in adolescent patients with congenital neutropenia - A report of 3 cases

Background, aims: Congenital neutropenia is one condition that may predispo se for destructive periodontal disease at a young age. In this report, we d escribe the microbiology of 3 adolescent patients with congenital neutropen ia two of whom suffered from severe periodontitis. Method: Microbiological testing of the parents was also performed in 1 case . DNA fingerprinting was used to study transmission of putative periodontal pathogens in this case. From 1 patient with periodontitis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis were isolated; a 2nd per iodontitis patient was infected with P. gingivalis. A 3rd patient had gingi vitis only and no A. actinomycetemcomitans or P. gingivalis were found. Results: Using the amplified fragment length polymorphism DNA fingerprintin g technique, bacterial transmission between the father and a patient was sh own for A. actinomycetemcomitans but not for P. gingivalis.