Assessment of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in Down's syndrome subjects and systemically healthy subjects: A comparative clinical trial

Nizar Ahmed; Harinath Parthasarathy; Mohamed Arshad; Dhayanand John Victor; Danny Mathew; Siva Sankari

doi:10.4103/0972-124X.147408

Assessment of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in Down's syndrome subjects and systemically healthy subjects: A comparative clinical trial

J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2014 Nov-Dec;18(6):728-33. doi: 10.4103/0972-124X.147408.

Authors

Nizar Ahmed¹, Harinath Parthasarathy², Mohamed Arshad¹, Dhayanand John Victor¹, Danny Mathew¹, Siva Sankari¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Periodontics, Thai Moogambigai Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
² Department of Periodontics, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

Objectives: To compare and quantify the presence of periodontal pathogens Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aac) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) in Down's syndrome (DS) and systemically healthy subjects with periodontitis and gingivitis.

Materials and methods: Fifty-nine age-matched subjects were categorized into four groups; Group I: DS subjects with gingivitis, Group II: DS subjects with periodontitis, Group III: Systemically healthy subjects with gingivitis and Group IV: Systemically healthy subjects with periodontitis. Plaque samples from all the four groups were collected and analyzed to evaluate the presence of Aac and Pg using real time polymerase chain reaction. The indices used were oral hygiene index simplified, community periodontal index for treatment needs and plaque index.

Results: This study showed a statistically significant detection in the levels of both Aac (<0.001) and Pg (<0.001) in DS subjects with periodontitis when compared with the healthy controls with periodontitis; moreover, there was a statistically significant increase in Pg levels compared to Aac in DS gingivitis group.

Conclusion: There was a statistically significant presence of Pg and Aac in both DS gingivitis and DS periodontitis over control groups with increased levels of Pg compared with Aac in DS gingivitis group.

Keywords: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis; Down's syndrome; chronic periodontitis; oral hygiene; subgingival microflora.