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Selected AbstractsThe effect of repeated professional supragingival plaque removal on the composition of the supra- and subgingival microbiotaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 9 2000Laurie Ann Ximénez-Fyvie Abstract Background, aims: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effect of weekly professionally administered supragingival plaque removal on the composition of the supra and subgingival microbiota. Methods: 18 adult subjects with periodontitis who had been treated and were in a maintenance phase of therapy were clinically and microbiologically monitored at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. After the baseline visit, the subjects received scaling and root planing followed by professional supragingival plaque removal every week for 3 months. Clinical measures of plaque accumulation, bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival redness, suppuration, pocket depth and attachment level were made at 6 sites per tooth at each visit. Separate supra (N=1804) and subgingival (N=1804) plaque samples were taken from the mesial aspect of all teeth excluding third molars in each subject at each time point and evaluated for their content of 40 bacterial taxa using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Significance of changes in mean counts, prevalence and proportions of bacterial species over time in both supra and subgingival samples were determined using the Quade test and adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results: Mean % of sites exhibiting plaque, gingival redness and BOP were significantly reduced during the course of the study. Significant decreases in mean counts were observed in both supra and subgingival samples. Mean total DNA probe counts (×105, ±SEM) at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months were: 133±19, 95±25, 66±6, 41±6 (p<0.001) for supragingival samples and 105±22, 40±10, 19±4, 13±3 (p<0.001) for subgingival samples. Mean counts of 22 of 40 and 34 of 40 species tested were significantly reduced in the supra and subgingival samples respectively over the monitoring period. For example, mean counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis×105 at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months in the subgingival plaque samples were 2.0±0.4, 0.5±0.2, 0.6±0.3, 0.3±0.1 (p<0.001); Bacteroides forsythus 2.0±0.6, 0.4±0.1, 0.4±0.2, 0.1±0.2 (p<0.001); Treponema denticola 3.4±1.1, 0.8±0.3, 0.4±0.2, 0.3±0.3 (p<0.01). Similar reductions were seen in supragingival plaque samples. While counts were markedly reduced by professional plaque removal, the proportion and prevalence of the 40 test species were marginally affected. Conclusions: Weekly professional supragingival plaque removal profoundly diminished counts of both supra- and subgingival species creating a microbial profile comparable to that observed in periodontal health. This profile was maintained at the final monitoring visit, 9 months after completion of therapy. [source] Trichostrongylid infections in sheep after rainfall during summer in southern AustraliaAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 9 2002P NIVEN Objective To relate trichostrongylid infections acquired by sheep during summer to prevailing weather conditions. Procedure Groups of worm-free ,tracer' sheep were put onto pastures, previously contaminated with trichostrongylid eggs, for successive periods of 2 weeks from December to March. After grazing the sheep were housed for 6 weeks. Weekly worm egg counts and worm counts were used to estimate the numbers of worms acquired and related to weather conditions during the grazing period. Results No worm eggs were detected in the faeces of sheep that grazed at the end of January when only 7 mm of rainfall was recorded. At other times rainfall between 12 and 24 mm occurred and strongyle egg counts were generally either < 50 or > 150 eggs per g (epg). Mean counts of 1100 Ostertagia and Trichostrongylus adults gave rise to mean counts of about 350 epg whereas about 6000 Nematodirus spp were associated with mean egg counts of about 200 Nematodirus spp epg. Conclusions Rainfall events during summer determine the numbers of trichostrongylid larvae acquired by sheep in summer but further studies are necessary before the implications for strategic control programs in southern Australia can be fully assessed. [source] Phenology determines seasonal variation in ectoparasite loads in a natural insect populationECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2010CHRISTOPHER HASSALL 1. The extent to which individuals are parasitised is a function of exposure to parasites and the immune response, which in ectotherms may be associated with temperature. 2. We test the hypothesis that seasonal variation in ectoparasite burden is driven by temperature using an extensive mark-release-recapture study of adult Coenagrion puella (L.) (Zygoptera) as a model system. Mite counts were taken both at capture and on a subset of subsequent recaptures over two entire, consecutive breeding seasons. 3. Emergence date was the most significant factor in determining individual differences in mite burden, and mean counts for individuals emerging on the same days showed strong unimodal relationships with time of season. Subsequent recounting of mites on a subset of individuals showed that patterns of loss of mites were similar between seasons. 4. While temperature did not significantly affect mite burdens within seasons and ectoparasite prevalence was very similar across the two seasons, intensity of infection and rate of mite gain in unparasitised individuals were significantly higher in the cooler season. 5. We demonstrate that, while temperature may modulate the invertebrate immune response, this modulation does not manifest in variations in mite burdens in natural populations. [source] A three-year prospective study of adult subjects with gingivitis II: microbiological parametersJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 1 2007R. P. Teles Abstract Aim: To investigate whether the clinical benefits obtained with a periodontal prevention programme in subjects with periodontal health or minimal disease were accompanied by beneficial changes in the subgingival microbiota. Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty-four subjects completed the study. Subjects were clinically and microbiologically monitored at baseline, 1, 2 and 3 years. Subgingival plaque samples were taken from the mesiobuccal aspect of every tooth and were analysed for the levels of 40 bacterial species using checkerboard DNA,DNA hybridization (total samples=13,477). The mean counts of each of the 40 test species were calculated for each subject at each time point. Significance of differences over time was sought using the Friedman test. p values were adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results: All clinical parameters, at the microbiologically sampled sites, improved over time. The clinical changes were accompanied by statistically significant decreases in the mean counts of 35 of the 40 test species. Major reductions occurred by year 2 for Actinomyces, Capnocytophaga, Campylobacter, Fusobacterium and Prevotella species. At year 3, there was a modest re-growth of the majority of the species. Conclusions: The clinical improvements obtained through preventive measures were accompanied by a shift to a more host-compatible subgingival microbiota. [source] In vivo antimicrobial effectiveness of an essential oil-containing mouth rinse 12 h after a single use and 14 days' useJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 4 2005D. H. Fine Abstract Objectives: Two studies were conducted to determine the antimicrobial effect of rinsing with an essential oil-containing mouth rinse 12 h after a single rinse and 12 h after 2 weeks of twice daily rinsing, during the daytime and overnight. Materials and Methods: These studies utilized a randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover design. Following baseline sampling of bacteria from supragingival plaque and the dorsum of the tongue, subjects began twice-daily rinsing with either an essential oil mouth rinse containing 0.09% zinc chloride (Tartar Control Listerine® Antiseptic) or a negative control rinse. Bacterial sampling was repeated 12 h after the first rinse, and again 12 h after the final rinse 14 days later. The sampling schedule was adjusted according to whether the study was investigating daytime or overnight activity. Samples were plated on Schaedlers medium (total anaerobes), Schaedlers Nalidixic/Vancomycin medium (Gram-negative anaerobes), and OOPS medium (volatile sulphur compound (VSC)-producing organisms). Inter-group log10 transformed colony-forming units /ml counts from samples of supragingival plaque and tongue swabs on each of the three media were compared by analysis of covariance. Results: The mean bacterial counts in subjects using the essential oil mouth rinse were significantly lower (p0.005) than mean counts in subjects using the control rinse in all the comparisons, i.e., tongue and supragingival plaque samples on each of three media at two sampling periods in the daytime and overnight study, respectively. Mean bacterial count percent reductions for plaque samples ranged from 56.3 to 95.3; percent reductions for tongue samples ranged from 61.1 to 96.1. There was a trend to higher reductions after 14 days' rinsing than after the initial rinse. Conclusion: Rinsing with the essential oil mouth rinse can have long-lasting effects in reducing anaerobic bacteria overall as well as Gram-negative anaerobes and VSC-producing bacteria. The significant reductions in numbers of these bacteria produced by the essential oil mouth rinse, both in plaque and on the dorsum of the tongue, can play a key role in explaining the essential oil mouth rinse's effectiveness in reducing supragingival plaque and gingivitis as well as its effectiveness in controlling intrinsic oral malodor over prolonged periods. [source] Relationship between periodontal pocket sulfide levels and subgingival speciesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 11 2003G. Torresyap Abstract Background: Many species implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease produce volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). This investigation examined the relationship between levels of sulfide and subgingival bacterial species in the same periodontal pockets. Material and Methods: Twenty chronic periodontitis subjects were measured clinically at six sites per tooth for plaque, gingivitis, bleeding on probing, suppuration, pocket depth and attachment level. Subgingival plaque samples, taken from the mesial aspect of each tooth, were individually analyzed for their content of 40 bacterial species using checkerboard DNA,DNA hybridization. Sulfide levels were measured at the same sites using a Diamond Probe/Perio 2000 system. Clinical and microbiological data were averaged for sulfide-positive and -negative sites separately in each subject and then averaged across subjects. Significance differences in clinical and microbial parameters between sulfide-positive and -negative sites were sought using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: Mean total DNA probe counts (×105, ±SEM) at sulfide-negative and -positive sites were 44.0±9.9 and 65.0±13.3, respectively (p<0.01). Seventeen species were found at significantly higher levels in sulfide-positive than -negative sites. These included abundant producers of VSC such as members of the genera Fusobacterium, Campylobacter, Prevotella, Treponema and Eubacterium, and Bacteriodes forsythus, Selenomonas noxia and Propionibacterium acnes. Prevotella intermedia, Bacteriodes forsythus, Prevotella nigrescens, Fusobacterium nucleatum ss vincentii and Treponema denticola exhibited the greatest difference in mean counts between sulfide-negative and -positive sites. Orange and red complex species were at higher counts at shallow (<4 mm) sulfide-positive than shallow sulfide-negative sites. Although not statistically significant, mean clinical parameters were somewhat higher at sulfide-positive than sulfide-negative sites. Conclusions: Intra-pocket sulfide levels reflect the levels of sulfide-producing species and may provide useful diagnostic information. Zusammenfassung Grundlagen: Viele Spezies, die mit der Pathogenese der Parodontalerkrankung verbunden sind produzieren flüchtige Schwefelkomponenten (VSC). Diese Studie untersuchte die Verbindung zwischen dem Sulfid-Niveau und subgingivalen Spezies in den gleichen parodontalen Taschen. Methode: 20 Patienten mit chronischer Parodontitis wurden an 6 Stellen pro Zahn klinisch befundet hinsichtlich Plaque, Gingivitis, BOP, Eiterentleerung, Taschentiefe und Attachmentniveau. Unter Verwendung der Schachbrett-DNA,DNA-Hybridisierung wurden subgingivale Plaqueproben von der mesialen Stelle eines jeden Zahns individuell hinsichtlich des Vorkommens von 40 bakteriellen Spezies untersucht. An der gleichen Stelle wurde mittels des Diamond Probe/Perio 2000 Systems das Niveau des Sulfids gemessen. Von den klinischen und mikrobiologischen Daten wurden bei jedem Patienten getrennt für Sulfid-positiv und Sulfid-negativ ein Durchschnitt gebildet und anschließend der Durchschnitt für alle Patienten berechnet. Nach signifikanten Unterschieden in den klinischen und mikrobiologischen Parametern zwischen Sulfid-positiven und Sulfid-negativen Stellen wurde unter Verwendung des Wilcoxon signed ranks Test gesucht. Ergebnisse: Die mittlere Bakterienanzahl mit Gesamt-DNA-Sonden (× 105, ±SEM) betrug an den Sulfid-negativen Stellen und Sulfid-positiven Stellen 44.0±9.9 bzw. 65.0±13.3 (p<0.01). Bei 17 Spezies wurde ein signifikant höheres Niveau in den Sulfid-positiven Stellen vorgefunden. Die umfasste Bakterien die reichlich VSC produzieren, wie Mitglieder der Genera Fusobacterium, Campylobacter, Prevotella, Treponema und Eubacterium und B. forsythus, S. noxia und P. acnes. P. intermedia, B. forsythus, P. nigrescens, F. nucleatum ssvincentii und T. denticola zeigten den größten Unterschied zwischen Sulfid-positiven und Sulfid-negativen Stellen in der durchschnittlichen Bakterienanzahl. Spezies des orangen und roten Komplexes lagen in höherer Anzahl in flachen (<4 mm) Sulfid-positiven, als in flachen Sulfid-negativen Taschen vor. Obwohl statistisch nicht signifikant, lagen die durchschnittlichen klinischen Parameter bei den Sulfid-positiven etwas höher als bei den Sulfid-negativen Taschen Schlussfolgerungen: Die innerhalb der Taschen gemessenen Sufiid-Niveaus spiegeln das Niveau der Sulfid-produzierenden Spezies wieder und könnten eine nützliche diagnostische Information liefern. Résumé Plusieurs espèces impliquées dans la pathogenèse de la maladie parodontale produisent des composés de sulfate volatiles (VSC). Cette étude examine la relation entre les niveaux de sulfate et les espèces bactériennes sous-gingivales dans les mêmes poches parodontales. Vingt sujets avec parodontite chronique ont subi un examen clinique au niveau de six sites par dent pour la plaque dentaire, la gingivite, la profondeur de poche au sondage (BOP), la suppuration, la profondeur de poche et le niveau d'attache. Des échantillons de plaque sous-gingivale prélevés en mésial de chaque dent ont été analysés individuellement pour leur contenu de 40 espèces bactériennes à l'aide de l'hybridisation ADN-ADN croisée. Les niveaux de sulfate ont été mesurés au niveau des mêmes sites par le système de sonde Diamond/Perio 2000. Les moyennes des données cliniques et microbiologiques ont étéétablies pour les sites sulfate positif et négatif chez chaque sujet et par sujet. Des différences significatives dans les paramètres cliniques et microbiologiques entre les sites sulfate positif et négatif ont été observées via le test de Wilcoxon. Les moyennes totales des comptes de la sonde ADN (x105,+/,ES) au niveau des sites sulfate négatif et positif étaient respectivement de 44,0 +/,9,9 et 65,0+/,13,3 (p<0,01). Dix sept espèces ont été trouvées à des niveaux hautement plus significatifs dans des sites sulfate positif que négatif. Ceux-ci comprennaient d'abondants producteurs de VSC tels que les Fusobacterium, Catnpylobacter, Prevotella, Treponema, Eubacterium, B. forsythus, S. noxia etP. acnes, P. intermedia, B. forsythus, P. nigrescens, F. nucleatum ss vincentii et T. denticola qui montraient la plus grande différence dans la moyenne des comptes entre les sites sulfate négatif et positif. Les espèces complexe orange et rouge étaient plus nombreuses dans les sites de faible profondeur (<4 mm) sulfate positif que dans les sites peu profonds sulfate négatif. Bien que statistiquement non significative la moyenne des paramètres cliniques a été quelque peu plus élevée au niveau des sites sulfate positif qu'au niveau des négatifs. Les niveaux de sulfate intrapoche reflètent les niveaux des espèces produisant du sulfate et pourraient apporter une information de diagnostic pratique. [source] Microbial composition of supra- and subgingival plaque in subjects with adult periodontitisJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 10 2000Laurie Ann Ximénez-Fyvie Abstract Background, aims: The purpose of the present study was to compare and relate the microbial composition of supra and subgingival plaque in 23 adult periodontitis subjects (mean age 51±14 years). Methods: A total of 1,170 samples of supra and subgingival plaque were collected from the mesial aspect of every tooth (up to 28 supra and 28 subgingival samples) from each subject and evaluated for the presence and levels of 40 bacterial taxa using whole genomic DNA probes and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Clinical assessments including dichotomous measures of gingival redness, bleeding on probing, plaque accumulation and suppuration, as well as duplicate measures of pocket depth and attachment level, were made at 6 sites per tooth. The counts (levels), % DNA probe count (proportion) and % of sites colonized (prevalence) of each species in supra and separately in subgingival plaque were computed for each subject. Significance of differences between supra and subgingival plaque for each species was sought using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test and adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results: All 40 taxa were detected in both supra and subgingival plaque. Actinomyces species were the most prevalent taxa in both habitats. 75 to 100% of supra and 62 to 100% of subgingival sites were colonized by at least one of the 5 Actinomyces species. Supragingival samples exhibited significantly higher counts of Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 1, Actinomyces israelii, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Neisseria mucosa, Streptococcus gordonii, Capnocytophaga ochracea and Capnocytophaga sputigena when compared with mean counts in subgingival samples taken from the same tooth surfaces. Subgingival plaque samples presented significantly higher counts of Prevotella nigrescens, Prevotella intermedia, Bacteroides forsythus and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Subgingival samples exhibited a significantly higher proportion of "red" and "orange complex" species, while supragingival plaque exhibited higher proportions of "green" and "purple" complex species as well as Actinomyces species. Suspected periodontal pathogens could be detected in supragingival plaque from sites where subgingival samples were negative for the same species. Conclusions: The data indicate that supragingival plaque can harbor putative periodontal pathogens, suggesting a possible rôle of this environment as a reservoir of such species for the spread or reinfection of subgingival sites. [source] The effect of repeated professional supragingival plaque removal on the composition of the supra- and subgingival microbiotaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 9 2000Laurie Ann Ximénez-Fyvie Abstract Background, aims: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effect of weekly professionally administered supragingival plaque removal on the composition of the supra and subgingival microbiota. Methods: 18 adult subjects with periodontitis who had been treated and were in a maintenance phase of therapy were clinically and microbiologically monitored at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. After the baseline visit, the subjects received scaling and root planing followed by professional supragingival plaque removal every week for 3 months. Clinical measures of plaque accumulation, bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival redness, suppuration, pocket depth and attachment level were made at 6 sites per tooth at each visit. Separate supra (N=1804) and subgingival (N=1804) plaque samples were taken from the mesial aspect of all teeth excluding third molars in each subject at each time point and evaluated for their content of 40 bacterial taxa using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Significance of changes in mean counts, prevalence and proportions of bacterial species over time in both supra and subgingival samples were determined using the Quade test and adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results: Mean % of sites exhibiting plaque, gingival redness and BOP were significantly reduced during the course of the study. Significant decreases in mean counts were observed in both supra and subgingival samples. Mean total DNA probe counts (×105, ±SEM) at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months were: 133±19, 95±25, 66±6, 41±6 (p<0.001) for supragingival samples and 105±22, 40±10, 19±4, 13±3 (p<0.001) for subgingival samples. Mean counts of 22 of 40 and 34 of 40 species tested were significantly reduced in the supra and subgingival samples respectively over the monitoring period. For example, mean counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis×105 at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months in the subgingival plaque samples were 2.0±0.4, 0.5±0.2, 0.6±0.3, 0.3±0.1 (p<0.001); Bacteroides forsythus 2.0±0.6, 0.4±0.1, 0.4±0.2, 0.1±0.2 (p<0.001); Treponema denticola 3.4±1.1, 0.8±0.3, 0.4±0.2, 0.3±0.3 (p<0.01). Similar reductions were seen in supragingival plaque samples. While counts were markedly reduced by professional plaque removal, the proportion and prevalence of the 40 test species were marginally affected. Conclusions: Weekly professional supragingival plaque removal profoundly diminished counts of both supra- and subgingival species creating a microbial profile comparable to that observed in periodontal health. This profile was maintained at the final monitoring visit, 9 months after completion of therapy. [source] The relationship between flesh quality and numbers of Kudoa thyrsites plasmodia and spores in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 8 2003J A Dawson-Coates Abstract Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were exposed to Kudoa thyrsites (Myxozoa, Myxosporea)-containing sea water for 15 months, and then harvested and assessed for parasite burden and fillet quality. At harvest, parasites were enumerated in muscle samples from a variety of somatic and opercular sites, and mean counts were determined for each fish. After 6 days storage at 4 °C, fillet quality was determined by visual assessment and by analysis of muscle firmness using a texture analyzer. Fillet quality could best be predicted by determining mean parasite numbers and spore counts in all eight tissue samples (somatic and opercular) or in four fillet samples, as the counts from opercular samples alone showed greater variability and thus decreased reliability. The variability in both plasmodia and spore numbers between tissue samples taken from an individual fish indicated that the parasites were not uniformly distributed in the somatic musculature. Therefore, to best predict the probable level of fillet degradation caused by K. thyrsites infections, multiple samples must be taken from each fish. If this is performed, a mean plasmodia count of 0.3 mm,2 or a mean spore count of 4.0 × 105 g,1 of tissue are the levels where the probability of severe myoliquefaction becomes a significant risk. [source] Biofilms in the Edentulous Oral CavityJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 5 2008Amit Sachdeo BDS, DMSc Abstract Purpose: The oral cavity presents numerous surfaces for microbial colonization. These surfaces produce biofilms of differing complexities unique to each individual. Several studies have looked at biofilms in dentate patients. There has been limited research regarding biofilms on dentures or soft tissues of edentulous patients. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide meaningful data describing microbial ecological relationships in the oral cavity of edentulous patients and to evaluate the microbiota on hard and soft tissue surfaces and saliva in edentulous patients wearing complete dentures. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one edentulous subjects with complete maxillary and mandibular dentures were recruited. "Supragingival" biofilm samples were taken from 28 denture teeth for each subject. Biofilm samples were also taken from the dorsal, lateral, and ventral surfaces of the tongue, floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, hard palate, vestibule/lip, "attached gingiva," and saliva. Samples were individually analyzed for their content of 41 bacterial species using checkerboard DNA,DNA hybridization. Levels and proportions of each species were determined for every sample location. Results: Periodontal pathogens such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis were clearly present in the samples from the edentulous subjects. Microbial profiles in samples from the soft tissue surfaces differed among site locations. Samples from the dorsum of the tongue exhibited the highest bacterial counts followed by the "attached gingiva" and the lateral surfaces of the tongue, while the lowest mean counts were found in samples from the buccal mucosa and labial vestibules. Using cluster analysis of the proportions of the test species, three clusters were formed. The first cluster comprised saliva, supragingival plaque, and the lateral and dorsal surfaces of the tongue. The second cluster comprised the other six soft tissue surfaces. Species on the denture palate formed a third cluster. Conclusions: One of the major findings in this study was the detection of periodontal pathogens, A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis, in the edentulous subjects, as these species were thought to disappear after removal of all natural teeth. This finding has implications regarding future dental treatment and the general health of individuals. Distinct patterns of microbial colonization were seen on the different soft tissue surfaces. Thus, this investigation provided the first step in defining the organisms that are associated with edentulous patients on both soft (mucosa) and hard surfaces (denture). The study also provided meaningful data that described microbial ecological relationships in the oral cavity of edentulous subjects. The authors believe that this study is the first comprehensive assessment of the microbiota in the complete denture-wearing subject. [source] Use of checkerboard DNA,DNA hybridization to study complex microbial ecosystemsMOLECULAR ORAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004S. S. Socransky It has been difficult to conduct large scale studies of microbiologically complex ecosystems using conventional microbiological techniques. Molecular identification techniques in new probe-target formats, such as checkerboard DNA,DNA hybridization, permit enumeration of large numbers of species in very large numbers of samples. Digoxigenin-labeled whole genomic probes to 40 common subgingival species were tested in a checkerboard hydridization format. Chemifluorescent signals resulting from the hybridization reactions were quantified using a Fluorimager and used to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the probes. Sensitivity of the DNA probes was adjusted to detect 104 cells. In all, 93.5% of potential cross-reactions to 80 cultivable species exhibited signals <5% of that detected for the homologous probe signal. Competitive hybridization and probes prepared by subtraction hybridization and polymerase chain reaction were effective in minimizing cross-reactions for closely related taxa. To demonstrate utility, the technique was used to evaluate 8887 subgingival plaque samples from 79 periodontally healthy and 272 chronic periodontitis subjects and 8126 samples from 166 subjects taken prior to and after periodontal therapy. Significant differences were detected for many taxa for mean counts, proportion of total sample, and percentage of sites colonized between samples from periodontally healthy and periodontitis subjects. Further, significant reductions were observed post therapy for many subgingival species including periodontal pathogens. DNA probes used in the checkerboard DNA,DNA format provide a useful tool for the enumeration of bacterial species in microbiologically complex systems. [source] | ||||||||||