Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability in children of colonization of nine anaerobic bacteria that are associated with periodontitis.  The presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (new name Aggregatibacter), Tannerella BU063, Filifactor alocis, Peptostreptococcus BS044, Peptostreptococcus CK035, Peptostreptococcus micros, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Taneralla forsythia was measured in children using a longitudinal study design to evaluate the relationship between age and stability.  

Methods:

The colonization status of 222 children between the ages of 0 and 18 was determined for nine bacteria.  Samples were collected and analyzed a second time from 100 of these children two years later.  Samples were collected from each child by placing paper points in the mesial sulcus of every tooth.  The DNA was isolated from the combined paper points.  A PCR assay was used to detect each of the nine species.  A universal amplification was performed on each sample followed by species-specific amplifications targeting the 16S and intergenic spacer region between the 16S and 23S ribosomal genes.  The samples were analyzed for the presence of the target bacteria by gel electrophoresis on a 1% agarose gel. All samples were amplified and scored a second time.  If results were not in agreement, the amplification was repeated.

Results: 

For eight of the nine species, bacteria appeared to colonize only transiently in most children, with random concordance between the results of the first and second sampling.  The stability of Filifactor alocis was found to be significant (p= 0.0037).  The prevalence of three of the nine species (A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and Tannerella BU063) did not increase with age.

Conclusions:

Although all bacteria measured were present in a considerable fraction of children, most bacteria do not stably colonize the subgingival sulcus of children, and their presence is transient. 

Supported by NIH DE10467.

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