| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Gaetti-Jardim, Jr., Elerson
[1]
;
Wahasugui, Thais Cristiane
[2]
;
Tomazinho, Paulo Henrique
[2]
;
Marques, Marcia Martins
[3]
;
Nakano, Viviane
[2]
;
Avila-Campos, Mario Julio
[2]
Total Authors: 6
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Odontol, Lab Patol, Aracatuba, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol, Lab Anaerobios, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Odontol, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Brazilian Journal of Microbiology; v. 39, n. 4, p. 658-663, OCT-DEC 2008. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 6 |
| Abstract | |
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an important etiologic agent of the periodontitis and is associated with extra-oral infections. In this study, the detection of the ltxA gene as well as the ltx promoter region from leukotoxic A. actinomycetemcomitans isolated from 50 Brazilian patients with periodontitis and 50 healthy subjects was performed. The leukotoxic activity on HL-60 cells was also evaluated. Leukotoxic activity was determined using a trypan blue exclusion method. The 530 bp deletion in the promoter region was evaluated by PCR using a PRO primer pair. A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected by culture and directly from crude subgingival biofilm by PCR using specific primers. By culture, A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected in nine (18%) of the periodontal patients and one (2%) healthy subject. However, by PCR, this organism was detected in 44% of the periodontal patients and in 16% of the healthy subjects. It was verified a great discrepancy between PCR detection of the ltx operon promoter directly from crude subgingival biofilm and from bacterial DNA. Only one periodontal sample harbored highly leukotoxic A. actinomycetemcomitans. Moreover, biotype II was the most prevalent and no correlation between biotypes and leukotoxic activity was observed. The diversity of leukotoxin expression by A. actinomycetemcomitans suggests a role of this toxin in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and other infectious diseases. (AU) | |