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Notes: Abstract Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by xerostomia. Although a common observation in SS is increased susceptibility to caries, the level of periodontal disease has not been described in these individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine the periodontal status of 14 SS female subjects who had a mean age of 52.9±11.6 years. Plaque, gingival, and calculus indices as well as probing depth (PD) and attachment level (AL) were determined on 7 index teeth in each subject. Result indicated that individuals with Sjögren's Syndrome did not exhibit significant periodontal disease.

Notes: Abstract This investigation was designed to compare the predominant plaque micro-organisms from a Chinese group of patients exhibiting periodontitis with an age-, sex- and periodontal disease-matched Caucasian group of patients. In addition to race, the 2 population groups differed with respect to diet and oral hygiene habits, or effectiveness at removing plaque. Clinical measurements were determined along with an evaluation for micro-organisms in supragingival and subgingival plaque. Although the Chinese and Caucasian population groups were similar with respect to composition of micro-organisms in subgingival plaque, notable differences were observed in supragingival plaque. The Chinese group had higher mean proportions of spirochetes. motile rods, Fusobocterium spp. and dark-pigmented Bacteroides species, while the Caucasian group had higher mean proportions of cocci, total Actinomyces spp., A. viscosus and total Streptococcus spp. in supragingival plaque. The microbial differences observed in supragingival plaque may be explained at least in part, if not totally, by the higher plaque index scores of the Chinese versus Caucasian population groups.

Notes: Abstract Neutrophil elastase (NE) was measured in crevicular fluid (GCF) collected from 3 subject groups. GCF was harvested at a single visit of subjects with periodontal health (n=21) and with periodontitis (n=28). Samples were obtained from 132 middle-aged, middle-class health conscious patients of a health maintenance organization (HMO) at baseline and 1 year later. GCF NE was higher in periodontitis than in health. Mean GCF NE of HMO subjects was much closer to health than to periodontitis. Few members of the HMO population had enzyme levels typical of periodontitis. Subjects and sites of the HMO population were segregated into 3 categories based on enzyme levels of the healthy and periodontitis subjects. Most HMO subjects and sites were in the activity category corresponding to healthy subjects. Only a small portion were in the activity category common in periodontitis. Enzyme levels in the highest activity category at both samplings were infrequent. High enzyme levels in the HMO population were not associated with attachment loss. Thus, assay of GCF NB provided little evidence of disease in a middle-aged, middle-class health conscious general population. This finding confirms an analysis of epidemiological surveys which concluded that a population such as studied here would not benefit from periodontal diagnostic testing.

Notes: Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of 5 bacterial pathogens in subgingival plaque, their relationship with each other and probing depth. Plaque was collected from 6905 sites in 938 subjects. A bacterial concentration fluorescence immunoassay and bacterial specific monoclonal antibodies were used to determine the presence and level of P. gingivalis (Pg), A. actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), P. intermedia (Pi), E. carrodens (Ec) and F. nucleatum (Fn) in each plaque sample. The prevalence in subjects was lowest for Pg (32%) and highest for Ec (49%). The site-based frequency distribution of these bacterial species ranged from 10.3% for Pg to 18.7% for Ec. Pi and Ec were the bacterial combination most often found together in a subject (27.2%). While 64.0% of the sites were without any of the 5 bacterial species evaluated, 20.2% had only 1 of the 5 bacterial species evaluated. The remaining 15.8% of sites had at least 2 bacteria species present. There was a general linear association of the detection level of bacterial species and probing depth. The odds ratios were 3.9 (Pg). 3.0 (Aa), 4.0 (Pi). 2.7 (Ec) and 2.8 (Fn) of finding high levels of these bacterial pathogens at 〉 5 mm probing depth (p≤ 0.01). Mean probing depth at molar sites without a specific bacteria was greater (p≤ 0.01) in subjects wish a specific bacterium compared to molar sites in subjects without the bacteria. The observation that these 5 bacterial species frequently inhabit the subgingival environment, yet are not associated with advanced disease, suggest that a susceptible host is required, in addition to a “pathogenic bacteria”, before disease progression may occur.

Notes: Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to compare clinical and microbial parameters in a follow-up case report of adult subjects harboring Actinobacillus actinmycetemcomitans (Aa) with clinically matched subjects who did not have detectable Aa, 16 subjects with Aa and 16 subjects without Aa at the baseline examination were re-examined at an average of 46 months following collection of baseline data. Clinical measurements were recorded and subgingival plaque sampled and evaluated for microbtal flora from each maxillary first molar. In 16 subjects with Aa at baseline, 4 sites in 3 subjects had detectable actinobacilli at the follow-up appointment. 26 sites in 13 individuals with Aa at baseline had a significantly increased gingival index at the follow-up visit (p〈inlineGraphic alt="leqslant R: less-than-or-eq, slant" extraInfo="nonStandardEntity" href="urn:x-wiley:03036979:JCPE288:les" location="les.gif"/〉 0.05), but there was no significant increase in probing depth or attachment loss. 32 sites in the 16 subjects without Aa at baseline still did not have detectable levels of this microorganism at the follow-up examination nor was there any significant difference between baseline and the follow-up appointment for the gingival index, probing depth and attachment level measurements. In subjects with Aa at baseline. 1 of 12 teelh without Aa and 5 of 20 teeth with Aa had been extracted prior to the follow-up visit. In this population group, having sites where Aa was detected, 6 of 9 teeth which had a probing depth 〈inlineGraphic alt="geqslant R: gt-or-equal, slanted" extraInfo="nonStandardEntity" href="urn:x-wiley:03036979:JCPE288:ges" location="ges.gif"/〉5 mm were lost before the follow-up data collection appointment. In the control group, which did not have detectable Aa at baseline, 9 teeth with probing depths 〈inlineGraphic alt="geqslant R: gt-or-equal, slanted" extraInfo="nonStandardEntity" href="urn:x-wiley:03036979:JCPE288:ges" location="ges.gif"/〉5 mm were not lost. These observations, although not proving, suggest in this population group, that deeper probing depths taken together with the presence of Aa may have placed an individual at greater risk of tooth loss.