Database: EMBASE <: international biomedical and pharmaceutical literature, 1988 - Jun 2000. [Trial access until 3/2001. Feedback welcome to medical.library@umich.edu] Search Strategy (You Saved Citations 1-72 From Set 67): ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 exp Tooth demineralization/ 7624 2 demineralization.mp. 889 3 caries.mp. 1810 4 caires.mp. 0 5 craies.mp. 0 6 careis.mp. 1 7 carise.mp. 0 8 (teeth adj3 cavit:).mp. 32 9 (tooth adj3 cavit:).mp. 31 10 (dental adj3 cavit:).mp. 54 11 (dentin adj3 cavit:).mp. 14 12 (enamel adj3 cavit:).mp. 6 13 (teeth adj3 decay:).mp. 59 14 (tooth adj3 decay:).mp. 58 15 (dental adj3 decay:).mp. 47 16 (dentin adj3 decay:).mp. 0 17 (enamel adj3 decay:).mp. 1 18 (active adj decay).mp. 5 19 (rampant adj3 decay:).mp. 4 20 (recurrent adj3 decay:).mp. 3 21 (white adj spot:).mp. 226 22 carious.mp. 110 23 cariology.ti,ab. 2 24 (non-cavitated adj3 lesion:).mp. 0 25 (noncavitated adj3 lesion:).mp. 1 26 Tooth remineralization/ 800 27 (dental adj3 fissure:).mp. 7 28 (tooth adj3 fissure:).mp. 3 29 (teeth adj3 fissure:).mp. 1 30 caries-free.mp. 28 31 cariesfree.mp. 0 32 Cariogenic agents/ 3 33 precavit:.mp. 2 34 (filled adj3 teeth).mp. 46 35 (filled adj3 tooth).mp. 9 36 (oral adj fissure:).mp. 4 37 (tooth adj3 remineraliz:).mp. 1 38 (teeth adj3 remineraliz:).mp. 4 39 dft.mp. 560 40 dfs.mp. 992 41 dmf:.mp. 1254 42 cariogeni:.mp. 166 43 or/1-42 12451 44 Dental plaque/ 818 45 ((tooth or teeth or dent:) adj3 (placque or plaque)).mp. 950 46 or/43-45 12522 47 "S.".mp. 204485 48 "Str.".mp. 1164 49 strep:.mp. 58892 50 exp Streptococcus/ 19839 51 or/47-50 256574 52 Enterococcus/ 2703 53 enterococcus.mp. 5122 54 "E.".mp. 116328 55 or/52-54 120114 56 faecalis.mp. 3503 57 fecalis.mp. 32 58 milleri.mp. 337 59 intermedius.mp. 677 60 anginosus.mp. 115 61 anginosis.mp. 1 62 salivarius.mp. 268 63 or/56-62 4733 64 Enterococcus faecalis/ 382 65 (51 or 55) and 63 4155 66 or/64-65 4155 67 46 and 66 72 68 from 67 keep 1-72 72 *************************** <1> UI - 2000202164 AU - Gouw-Soares S AU - Gutknecht N AU - Conrads G AU - Lampert F AU - Matson E AU - Eduardo CP IN - S. Gouw-Soares, Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2227, Sao Paulo CEP: 05508-900; Brazil. TI - The bactericidal effect of Ho:YAG laser irradiation within contaminated root dentinal samples. SO - Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine & Surgery Vol 18(2) (pp 81-87), 2000. AB - Objective: This in vitro study investigates the bactericidal effect of pulsed Ho:YAG laser irradiation in the depth of contaminated dentin specimens. Background Data: Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of laser irradiation in bacterial reduction of infected root canal. Methods: Root dentin of bovine teeth were sliced longitudinally in 180 samples of 100 mum, 300 mum, and 500 mum thickness, sterilized, dried, and inoculated on one side, with 1 muL of Enterococcus faecalis suspension. The opposite side's were irradiated four times for 5 seconds each with Ho:YAG laser irradiation, a wavelength of 2.10 mum, using four different energy settings: 1 W/5Hz; 1 W/10Hz; 1.5 W/5Hz, and 2.0 W/5Hz through a 320-mum quartz fiber at an angle of approximately 5 [degree]. In addition, two control groups were investigated, the first was inoculated and not submitted to any treatment, the second was inoculated and treated with NaOCl and H2O2. The remaining bacteria from each dentin sample in a transport media were removed by vibration, serially diluted, and plated out on culture dishes selective for Enterococcus faecalis. Results: When compared with the untreated control group or even with the group treated with NaOCl plus H2O2, counting of colonies forming units (CFU) from the laser-treated samples revealed a high significant bacterial elimination with a maximum of 98.46% and a minimum of 83.65%. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate a significant decrease of the bacterial population in depth, suggesting that the Ho:YAG laser irradiation could be effective to eliminate the microorganisms harbored within dentin or contaminated canals. [References: 35] <2> UI - 2000202160 AU - Gutknecht N AU - Van Gogswaardt D AU - Conrads G AU - Apel C AU - Schubert C AU - Lampert F IN - Dr. N. Gutknecht, Clinic of Conservative Dentistry, Periodontology/Preventive Med. Fac., University of Aachen, Pauwelstr. 30, D-52074 Aachen; Germany. TI - Diode laser radiation and its bactericidal effect in root canal wall dentin. SO - Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine & Surgery Vol 18(2) (pp 57-60), 2000. AB - Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effect of a diode laser in deep root canal dentin. Background Data: The microbial colonization of root canal dentin can lead to failures in conventional endodontic treatment if an inadequate bacterial reduction only is achieved through canal treatment and chemical disinfection. Methods: 100 mum, 300 mum and 500 mum bovine dentin slices obtained by longitudinal sections were sterilized and inoculated on one side with an Enterococcus faecalis suspension. Laser radiation was performed on the opposite side with the diode laser (810 nm) at a setting of 3 W in continuous mode (CW). Radiation was performed using a 400-mum tapered fiber tip at an angle of approximately 5 [degree] to the surface over a period of 30 seconds. The output power at the distal end of the tip was 0.6 W. The bacteria were then eluted through vibration and cultured on blood agar plates. The colony count reflected the antibacterial effect of laser radiation as a function of the layer thickness. Results: A mean bacterial reduction of 74% was achieved even with a 500-mum thick slice. Conclusion: This investigation indicates that the diode laser radiation reduces the number of bacteria in deep layers of infected root canal wall dentin. [References: 20] <3> UI - 2000201433 AU - Peltroche-Llacsahuanga H AU - Reichhart E AU - Schmitt W AU - Lutticken R AU - Haase G IN - Dr. G. Haase, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, D-52057 Aachen; Germany. E-Mail: ghaase@post.klinikum.rwth-aachen.de. TI - Investigation of infectious organisms causing pericoronitis of the mandibular third molar. SO - Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Vol 58(6) (pp 611-616), 2000. AB - Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the most-frequently encountered pyogenic organisms involved in pericoronitis to permit more targeted antibiotic therapy. Patients and Methods: Pericoronal pockets of mandibular third molars from 37 patients showing symptoms of acute, severe pericoronitis were sampled and subjected to microbiologic analysis, including primary evaluation by phase-contrast microscopy. To avoid overgrowth with faster-growing, less fastidious organisms, specimens were cultured on a wide variety of selective media (supporting growth of fastidious bacteria, protozoa, and fungi). Results: Microscopic examination indicated spirochetes in 55% and fusiform bacteria in 84% of the samples. A total of 441 microorganisms were isolated and identified from the 37 cultured samples. Besides obligate anaerobic bacteria, including various Actinomyces and Prevotella species, a predominantly facultative anaerobic microflora was cultivated, that is, Streptococcus milleri group (78% of samples), Stomatococcus mucilaginosus (71%), and Rothia dentocariosa (57%). Conclusion: It was concluded that the Streptococci milleri group bacteria, well-known for their ability to cause suppurative infections, are most likely involved in the pathogenesis of acute severe pericoronitis of the lower third molar. (C) 2000 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. [References: 22] <4> UI - 2000166920 AU - Clancy KA AU - Pearson S AU - Bowen WH AU - Burne RA IN - R.A. Burne, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642; United States. TI - Characterization of recombinant, ureolytic Streptococcus mutans demonstrates an inverse relationship between dental plaque ureolytic capacity and cariogenicity. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 68(5) (pp 2621-2629), 2000. AB - Dental caries results from prolonged plaque acidification that leads to the establishment of a cariogenic microflora and demineralization of the tooth. Urease enzymes of oral bacteria hydrolyze urea to ammonia, which can neutralize plaque acids. To begin to examine the relationship between plaque ureolytic activity and the incidence of dental caries, recombinant, ureolytic strains of Streptococcus mutans were constructed. Specifically, the ureABCEFGD operon from Streptococcus salivarius 57.I was integrated into the S. mutans chromosome in such a way that the operon was transcribed from a weak, cognate promoter in S. mutans ACUS4 or a stronger promoter in S. mutans ACUS6. Both strains expressed NiCl2-dependent urease activity, but the maximal urease levels in ACUS6 were threefold higher than those in ACUS4. In vitro pH drop experiments demonstrated that the ability of the recombinant S. mutans strains to moderate a decrease in pH during the simultaneous metabolism of glucose and urea increased proportionately with the level of urease activity expressed. Specific-pathogen-free rats that were infected with ACUS6 and fed a cariogenic diet with drinking water containing 25 mM urea and 50 muM NiCl2 had relatively high levels of oral urease activity, as well as dramatic decreases in the prevalence of smooth-surface caries and the severity of sulcal caries, relative to controls. Urease activity appears to influence plaque biochemistry and metabolism in a manner that reduces cariogenicity, suggesting that recombinant, ureolytic bacteria may be useful to promote dental health. [References: 39] <5> UI - 2000060257 AU - Gutierrez de Ferro MI AU - Ruis de Valladares RE AU - Benito de Cardenas IL IN - M.I. Gutierrez de Ferro, Diego de Villarroel 449, Yerba Buena, CP 4107 Tucuman; Argentina. E-Mail: mgferro@filo.unt.edu.ar. TI - Physiological aspects and conservation of a Veillonella strain isolated from the oral cavity. Interaction with streptococci. SO - Anaerobe Vol 5(3-4) (pp 255-259), 1999. AB - Bacteria of the genus Veillonella are anaerobic, Gram-negative cocci which are found as normal flora in the human oral cavity. Because it grows well with the lactate produced by streptococci, antinomyces and lactobacilli in dental plaque, they could play an anticariogenic role. The aim of the present study was to investigate the kinetics and viability of a Veillonella strain isolated from saliva and its interaction with oral streptococci. The growth rate was determined in Lactate broth measuring turbidity and CFU/mL over 64 h. Preservation media were tested at -70 [degree] C, -20 [degree] C and room temperature to strain conservation. To study bacterial interactions between veillonella and streptococci, an active culture of veillonella was spread on Mitis Salivarius Agar plates, which is a culture medium selective for oral streptococci. The replication time of this veillonela strain was 7.2 h in Lactate Broth and the specific growth rate (mu) was 0.096 h. The elected medium for conservation was Preservation Broth with 25% Glycerol at all temperatures. The Muniz Maintenance Medium and Muniz Maintenance Medium with Glycerol 25% media may be used at any temperature for short time periods. The interaction between veillonella and streptococci seems to be a result of nutritional factors. (C) 1999 Academic Press. [References: 11] <6> UI - 2000029800 AU - Nagamune H AU - Whiley RA AU - Goto T AU - Inai Y AU - Maeda T AU - Hardie JM AU - Kourai H IN - H. Nagamune, Dept. of Biological Sci./Technology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokushima, 1, 2-chome, Minami-josanjima cho, Tokushima 770-8506; Japan. E-Mail: nagamune@bio.tokushima-u.ac.jp. TI - Distribution of the intermedilysin gene among the anginosus group streptococci and correlation between intermedilysin production and deep- seated infection with Streptococcus intermedius. SO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol 38(1) (pp 200-226), 2000. AB - The distribution of intermedilysin, a human-specific cytolysin, among the anginosus group streptococci and the correlation of toxin production and infection by Streptococcus intermedius were investigated. PCR and Southern hybridization specific for the intermedilysin gene revealed that the toxin gene exists only in S. intermedius and no homologue to the toxin gene is distributed in S. anginosus and S. constellatus. Thus, the intermedilysin gene is useful as a marker gene of S. intermedius. Moreover, a human-specific hemolysis assay and Western blotting with intermedilysin-specific antibodies clearly demonstrated that the intermedilysin production level in isolates from deep-seated infections, such as brain and liver abscesses, is higher (6.2- to 10.2-fold, respectively) than in strains from normal habitats, such as dental plaque, or from peripheral infection sites. However, other candidate virulence factors of S. intermedius, such as chondroitin sulfate depolymerase, hyaluronidase, and sialidase activities, did not show such a clear correlation between enzymatic activity and isolation sites or disease severity. From these results, intermedilysin is likely to be the pathogenic or triggering factor of significance in inducing deep-seated infections with S. intermedius. [References: 19] <7> UI - 1999407037 AU - Brown AE AU - Rogers JD AU - Haase EM AU - Zelasko PM AU - Scannapieco FA IN - F.A. Scannapieco, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214; United States. E-Mail: fas1@acsu.buffalo.edu. TI - Prevalence of the amylase-binding protein A gene (abpA) in oral streptococci. SO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol 37(12) (pp 4081-4085), 1999. AB - Salivary amylase binds specifically to a number of oral streptococcal species. This interaction may play an important role in dental plaque formation. Recently, a 585-bp gene was cloned and sequenced from Streptococcus gordonii Challis encoding a 20.5-kDa amylase-binding protein (AbpA). The goal of this study was to determine if related genes are present in other species of oral streptococci. Biotinylated abpA was used in Southern blot analysis to screen genomic DNA from several strains representing eight species of oral streptococci. This probe hybridized with a 4.0-kb HindIII restriction fragment from all 13 strains of S. gordonii tested. The probe did not appear to bind to any restriction fragments from other species of amylase-binding oral streptococci including Streptococcus mitis (with the exception of 1 of 14 strains), Streptococcus crista (3 strains), Streptococcus anginosus (1 strain), and Streptococcus parasanguinis (1 strain), or to non-amylase-binding oral streptococci including Streptococcus sanguinis (3 strains), Streptococcus oralis (4 strains), and Streptococcus mutans (1 strain). Primers homologous to sequences within the 3' and 5' ends of abpA yielded products of 400 bp following PCR of genomic DNA from the Southern blot-positive strains. Several of these PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The levels of similarity of these cloned products to the abpA of S. gordonii Challis ranged from 91 to 96%. These studies reveal that the abpA gene appears to be specific to S. gordonii and differs from genes encoding amylase-binding proteins from other species of amylase-binding streptococci. [References: 31] <8> UI - 1999338216 AU - Matsuzaki K AU - Kobayashi I AU - Kaneko A AU - Yamane N AU - Shiiki K AU - Yamazaki J AU - Sasaki J TI - beta-Lactamase characteristics of oral anaerobes isolated from odontogenic infection. [Japanese] SO - Oral Therapeutics & Pharmacology Vol 18(2) (pp 66-71), 1999. AB - beta-Lactamase characteristics of oral anaerobes isolated from odontogenic infections were investigated. When 96 specimens from odontogenic infections were studied, the isolation frequencies of Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus and Streptococcus milleri group were 22.6%, 19.8%, and 15.1% respectively. Of 96 specimens, the cases of mixed infection (aerobes + anaerobes) were 63 (65.6%) and the mono-infection by anaerobes was 19 (19.8%). The percentage of isolation of Prevotella spp. or Peptostreptococcus spp. was high in comparison to the mono-infection by anaerobes. Of these anaerobes, 39% of Prevotella intermedia and 20% of Prevotella melaninogenica were positive for beta-lactamase using the acidometry method. Furthermore, in 4 of 11 P. intermedia, beta-lactamase activity increased greatly in the strain when ampicillin was used as substrate after the induction by cefoxitin. Based on these findings, it was suggested that the anaerobes producing beta-lactamase may be an indirect pathogen for odontogenic infection. [References: 7] <9> UI - 1999164205 AU - Kawashima N AU - Niederman R AU - Hynes RO AU - Ullmann-Cullere M AU - Stashenko P IN - Dr. P. Stashenko, Department of Cytokine Biology, Forsyth Dental Center, 140 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115; United States. TI - Infection-stimulated infraosseus inflammation and bone destruction is increased in P-/E-selectin knockout mice. SO - Immunology Vol 97(1) (pp 117-123), 1999. AB - Infections of the dental pulp commonly result in infraosseus inflammation and bone destruction. However, the role of phagocytic leucocytes in the pathogenesis of pulpal infections has been uncertain. In this work we used P/E(-/-) selectin-deficient mice, which lack rolling adhesion of leucocytes to endothelium and mimic the human syndrome, leucocyte adhesion deficiency II (LAD-II), to test the hypothesis that phagocytic leucocytes protect against pulpal infection and subsequent periapical infraosseus bone resorption. P/E(-/-) mice and P/E(+/+) wild-type controls were subjected to surgical pulp exposure, and both groups were infected with a mixture of pulpal pathogens including Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus micros and Streptococcus intermedius. Animals were killed after 20 days, and the extent of infraosseus bone destruction was quantified by histomorphometry. In two separate experiments, P/E(-/-) mice had significantly greater bone resorption than P/E(+/+) controls. The increased bone destruction correlated with a twofold decrease in polymorphonuclear (PMN) infiltration into periapical inflammatory tissues of P/E(-/-) mice. P/E(-/-) mice had higher tissue levels of the bone resorptive cytokine, interleukin (IL)-1alpha. Tissue levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were all higher in P/E(-/-) mice, but the increases were not statistically significant. Only IL-12 was higher in P/E(+/+) mice, possibly reflecting a greater number of infiltrating monocytes in wild-type mice. These findings demonstrate that phagocytic leucocytes are protective in this model, and suggest that elevated expression of inflammatory cytokines is responsible for the observed bone destruction. [References: 40] <10> UI - 1999088329 AU - Tarsi R AU - Muzzarelli RAA AU - Varaldo PE AU - Baldassarre V AU - Pruzzo C IN - Prof. C. Pruzzo, Istituto di Microbiologia, Universita degli Studi di Ancona, Via Ranieri Monte D'Ago, 60131 Ancona; Italy. E-Mail: pruzzo@mbox.ulisse.it. TI - A study on the prevention of Streptococcus mutans adsorption to hydroxyapatite. [Italian] SO - Igiene Moderna Vol 110(6) (pp 661-669), 1998. AB - The role of Streptococcus mutans in the initiation of dental caries has been recognized and attributed, at least in part, to its ability to colonize the tooth surface. Therefore, factors which prevent S. mutans attachment to hydroxyapatite are of considerable interest for the prophylaxis of this infectious disease. Chitosan, a chitin derivative by N-deacetylation, is an interesting candidate in this respect; in particular, it exhibits antibacterial activity against several pathogens, including oral streptococci. In the present work recent results regarding the efficacy of a low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC) and its derivatives N-carboxymethyl chitosan (NCMC) and imidazolyl chitosan (IMIC) in preventing S. mutans attachment to hydroxyapatite beads are reported. When saliva-coated hydroxyapatite was treated with sublethal concentrations of any of the chitosans a 50-65% reduction in S. mutans sucrose-dependent and -independent adsorption was observed. Bacteria grown in the presence of chitosan sublethal concentrations adsorbed poorly to hydroxyapatite; moreover, in the presence of chitosan, an increase in bacterial detachment from saliva-coated and - uncoated hydroxyapatite was observed. Only NCMC was shown to be active in preventing attachment to hydroxyapatite of other oral streptococci (S. sanguis, S. gordonii, S. oralis, S. constellatus, S. intermedius, S. anginosus, S. salivarius, S. vestibularis); none of the tested chitosans increased these bacteria's detachment from the beads. These results suggest that S. mutans colonization of the tooth surface might be selectively impaired by the use of the toothpastes, mouthrinses or chewing gums containing either IMIC or LMWC. [References: 19] <11> UI - 1998348717 AU - Ragot J-P IN - Dr. J.-P. Ragot, Service de Stomatologie, Chir. Maxillo-Faciale/Chir. Plast., Hopital de La Pitie-Salpetriere, 75651 Paris Cedex 13; France. TI - Foci of dental infection and their complications. [French] SO - Revue du Praticien 01 OCT 1998Vol 48(15) (pp 1711-1721), 1998. <12> UI - 1998309187 AU - Moynihan PJ AU - Ferrier S AU - Blomley S AU - Wright WG AU - Russell RRB IN - Dr. P.J. Moynihan, The Dental School, University of Newcastle, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4BW; United Kingdom. E-Mail: p.j.-moynihan@ncl.ac.uk. TI - Acid production from lactulose by dental plaque bacteria. SO - Letters in Applied Microbiology Vol 27(3) (pp 173-177), 1998. AB - Representative strains of oral streptococci, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria were incubated overnight with lactulose or other carbohydrates and the final pH recorded. Most bacteria tested were able to metabolize lactulose with the exception of strains of Streptococcus salivarius, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lact. fermentum. Streptococcus mutans produced most acid overnight but the initial rate of acid production from lactulase by uninduced cultures was very low. Plaque pH was monitored in 12 volunteers following rinsing the mouth with lactulose, sucrose or sorbitol or Lactulose BP. These studies in vivo showed both lactulose and Lactulose BP to exhibit low acidogenic potential. Thus, although plaque bacteria are capable of fermenting lactulose, the results suggest that lactulose is likely to pose a small acidogenic challenge to teeth under normal conditions of use. [References: 23] <13> UI - 1998219468 AU - Martinot M AU - Hansmann Y AU - Heitz D AU - Dickele M-C AU - Storck D AU - Christmann D IN - M. Martinot, Maladies infectieuses tropicales, Medicale A, Hopitaux Universitaires Strasbourg, 1 place de l'Hopital, F-67091 Strasbourg, Cedex; France. TI - Pyogenic liver abscesses from dental diseases. [French] SO - Medecine et Maladies Infectieuses Vol 28(5) (pp 442-444), 1998. AB - Pyogenic liver abscesses are mainly caused by digestive diseases in the biliary tract or less often from a portal seeding. Bacteria can also reach the liver by other mechanisms: local extension from an inflammatory process, direct inoculation, and bacteremia. With 10 to 35% of cases, cryptogenic abscesses remain frequent. We relate 2 cases of pyogenic hepatic abscesses with a strong suspicion of dental etiology linked to the isolated bacteria (Fusobacterium. spp and Streptococcus anginosus), the patients' marked dental diseases and the negative results of other etiologic investigations. A thorough clinical and radiological dental exam is required before diagnosing a cryptogenetic abscess, when confronted to hepatic abscesses of unknown etiology, above all if Fusobacteria is isolated. [References: 9] <14> UI - 1998182630 AU - Kaneko A AU - Sasaki J IN - A. Kaneko, Department of Oral Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Boseidai, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-11; Japan. TI - Comparison of in vitro activity of azithromycin and ampicillin against 31 isolates of Streptococcus milleri. SO - Tokai Journal of Experimental & Clinical Medicine Vol 22(3) (pp 99-102), 1997. AB - Antibacterial action of azithromycin against 31 strains of dental infection-derived Streptococcus milleri and tissue transfer of the agent were compared with ampicillin, the drug of first choice for dental infections. Concentrations required to inhibit 50% of isolates (MIC50) and concentrations required to kill 50% of isolates(MBC50) were 0.10 and 0.2 mug/ml, respectively, for azithromycin. The antibacterial action of azithromycin was 4 times more potent in that ampicillin. The MBC90 for azithromycin was 0.39 mug/ml, for amplicill 3.13 mug/ml. Bactericidally, azithromycin was 8 times more active than ampicillin. The peak value of concentrations (Cmax) of azithromycin was 0.45 mug/ml, about 1/10 that of ampicillin. The half-life of azithromycin was 10 hours, about 5 times longer than that of ampicillin. The contact time of MIC90 concentrations for azithromycin was 12 hours, distinctly longer than the 8 hours calculated for ampicillin. Azithromycin showed excellent tissue transfer concentrations: the gingival transfer concentration following oral administration of 500 mg/day ranged from 0.7-23.5 mug/ml. [References: 10] <15> UI - 1997333122 AU - Fukuizumi T AU - Inoue H AU - Tsujisawa T AU - Uchiyama C IN - T. Fukuizumi, Department of Oral Bacteriology, Kyushu Dental College, Manazuru, Kokura-kita, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803; Japan. E-Mail: izumi@kyu-dent.ac.jp. TI - Tonsillar application of killed Streptococcus mutans induces specific antibodies in rabbit saliva and blood plasma without inducing a cross- reacting antibody to human cardiac muscle. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 65(11) (pp 4558-4563), 1997. AB - When Streptococcus mutans cells are injected into the skeletal muscle of rabbits, an antibody against human cardiac muscle, as well as an anti-S. mutans antibody, is induced in blood plasma. Our previous study showed that when sheep erythrocytes are applied to palatine tonsils, an antibody against the applied cells is induced both in blood plasma and saliva. This antibody has no activity against cardiac muscle. It is not clear, however, if S. mutans application to the tonsils evokes an antibody response against cardiac muscle. In this study, we immunized rabbits against S. mutans or Streptococcus sobrinus by tonsillar application or by intramuscular injection every 3 days for 6 weeks. Tonsillar applications of formalin-killed cells of S. mutans induced saliva immunoglobulin A (IgA) and blood plasma IgG to the applied cells. In contrast, intramuscular injection of such cells induced only blood plasma IgG. When the route of immunization was intramuscular injection, antibodies in blood plasma cross-reacted with cardiac muscle. By enzyme-immunohistochemistry and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion tests, no cross- reaction to cardiac muscle was observed with the antibody in saliva or in blood plasma after the tonsillar applications. Western blotting of the S. mutans antigen showed that blood plasma from rabbits injected with S. mutans reacted with antigens of 46, 52, 62, and 85 kDa, while that from rabbits subjected to tonsillar application of S. mutans did not react with these bands. Similar results were obtained for S. sobrinus applications. Thus, tonsillar applications of mutants group streptococci induce antibodies differing in antigen specificity and do not induce any cross-reacting antibody to cardiac muscle. [References: 33] <16> UI - 1997303873 AU - Nakou M AU - Kamma J AU - Gargalianos P AU - Laskaris G AU - Mitsis F IN - J. Kamma, 6-8 Freattidos st., GR-185 37 Piraeus; Greece. TI - Periodontal microflora of HIV infected patients with periodontitis. SO - Anaerobe Vol 3(2-3) (pp 97-102), 1997. AB - The aim of this study was to determine the microbial profile of periodontal lesions in HIV seropositive patients and to compare it with rapidly progressing periodontal lesions in systemically healthy patients. The subgingival microflora of 20 CDC II, 20 CDC III, 20 DC IV/V and 20 systemically healthy patients with rapidly progressing periodontitis was examined. Four sites with greatest probing depth in each patient were selected for microbiological sampling. The samples were cultured aerobically and anaerobically for bacterial isolation using selective and nonselective media. Isolates were characterized to species level by conventional biochemical tests and various identification kits. The microflora of periodontitis lesions within the three stages of the HIV infection was similar to that of progressing periodontitis in systemically healthy adults including Campylobacter rectus, Capnocytophaga spp., Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Selenomonas spp. and Peptostreptococcus micros. However, HIV seropositive periodontitis lesions harboured a range of exogenous pathogens rarely associated with common types of periodontitis including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloaca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus avium, Clostridium difficile, Aspergillus fumigatus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Mycoplasma incognitum. The lack of immune effector and regulatory cells in HIV infected patients could in fact explain the increase of some opportunistic pathogens and the characteristic and rapidly progressing nature of the periodontal disease in these patients. [References: 23] <17> UI - 1997286622 AU - Teles R AU - Cun Yu Wang AU - Stashenko P IN - R. Teles, Forsyth Dental Center, 140 Fenway, Boston, MA 02115; United States. E-Mail: rteles@forsyth.org. TI - Increased susceptibility of RAG-2 SCID mice to dissemination of endodontic infections. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 65(9) (pp 3781-3787), 1997. AB - Specific immunity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions, although the extent to which these mechanisms are actually involved in either protection or destruction of the pulp-periapex complex is yet to be established. To investigate this question we compared periapical-lesion pathogenesis in RAG-2 severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with immunocompetent control mice following surgical pulp exposure. In order to equalize the bacterial challenge, an infection protocol using Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Streptococcus intermedius was devised. The results demonstrated that after infection, the proportion of the root canal flora represented by the four pathogens was almost identical in both groups (39.9 and 42.2% for RAG-2 and immunocompetent control mice, respectively). The effects of abrogation of T- and B-cell mechanisms on periapical pathogenesis were then assessed. Approximately one-third of the RAG-2 mice developed endodontic abscesses, while no immunocompetent controls had abscesses, results which indicated regional dissemination of the infection. A similar incidence of abscesses was found in two additional experiments. Abscessed RAG-2 teeth had significantly larger periapical lesions than did nonabscessed RAG-2 teeth (P <= 0.05) and exposed immunocompetent controls (P <= 0.01), whereas nonabscessed RAG-2 teeth were not significantly different from those of exposed immunocompetent controls in periapical-lesion size. We conclude that B- and T-cell-mediated immunity protects the host from the dissemination of endodontic infections and that RAG-2 mice are more susceptible to infection-induced pulp-periapex destruction. [References: 45] <18> UI - 1997282742 AU - Tanner A AU - Maiden MFJ AU - Lee K AU - Shulman LB AU - Weber HP IN - Dr. A. Tanner, Forsyth Dental Center, 140 Fenway, Boston, MA 02115; United States. TI - Dental implant infections. SO - Clinical Infectious Diseases Vol 25(SUPPL. 2) (pp S213-S217), 1997. AB - Dental implants provide a restorative tool to support crowns, bridge abutments, and removable dentures. Osseointegrated implants are titanium posts that are surgically implanted in alveolar bone. A tight immobile bond (osseointegration) forms between bone and titanium, and prosthetic and restorative fixtures are attached to the implants. Titanium implants differ from natural teeth, which may make them more susceptible to mechanical stress. A small proportion of implants are not successful and may fail due to infection. The microbiota of implants is similar to that of teeth in similar clinical states. Implants that fail because of mechanical stress are colonized by species associated with healthy teeth. Infected implants are colonized by subgingival species, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Campylobacter gracilis, Streptococcus intermedius, and Peptostreptococcus micros. Different patients may be colonized by different microbial complexes, indicating that optimal treatment should be directed to the specific infection. [References: 38] <19> UI - 1997273516 AU - Gutknecht N AU - Nuebler-Moritz M AU - Burghardt SF AU - Lampert F IN - Dr. N. Gutknecht, Laser Research Institute, Department of Conservative Dentistry, University Aachen, Pauwelstrasse 30, D-52057 Aachen; Germany. TI - The efficiency of root canal disinfection using a holmium: Yttrium- aluminum-garnet laser in vitro. SO - Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine & Surgery Vol 15(2) (pp 75-78), 1997. AB - The aim of the present study was to determine the bactericidal effect of a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser on root canals in vitro. The efficiency of different laser settings was compared. The in vitro examinations revealed extensive bacterial reduction in extracted, endodontically prepared teeth that had been incubated with Streptococcus faecalis with the most favorable results at a setting of 5 Hz and 2 W. In average, 99.98% of the bacteria injected in the root canal could be eliminated. Considering this bactericidal effect, the application of the Ho:YAG laser in root canal treatment appears to be very efficient. [References: 25] <20> UI - 1997233901 AU - Sugata T AU - Fujita Y AU - Myoken Y AU - Fujioka Y IN - Dr. Y. Myoken, Dept. of Dentistry/Oral Surgery, HRCABSH, 1-9-6, Senda-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730; Japan. TI - Cervical cellulitis with mediastinitis from an odontogenic infection complicated by diabetes mellitus: Report of a case. SO - Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Vol 55(8) (pp 864-869), 1997. <21> UI - 1997209335 AU - Clancy A AU - Burne RA IN - R.A. Burne, Department of Dental Research, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642; United States. E-Mail: burne@medinfo.rochester.edu. TI - Construction and characterization of a recombinant ureolytic Streptococcus mutans and its use to demonstrate the relationship of urease activity to pH modulating capacity. SO - FEMS Microbiology Letters Vol 151(2) (pp 205-211), 1997. AB - To begin to understand the contribution of oral microbial ureolysis to the inhibition of dental caries, we sought to construct a recombinant, ureolytic mutans streptococcus and correlate the ureolytic capacity of plaque bacteria with pH moderating ability. Streptococcus mutans GS-5 was transformed with a plasmid containing the urease genes from Streptococcus salivarius 57.1. The recombinant strain, S. mutans AC04, stably maintained the urease genes. High levels of urease activity were detected, with a maximum specific activity of 0.9 mumol of urea hydrolyzed/min/mg cell dry weight when the growth medium was supplemented with 50 muM exogenous NiCl2. Harboring the recombinant plasmid, or growth in NiCl2, did not markedly affect the glycolytic capacity of S. mutans. In vitro pH drop analysis of S. mutans AC04, metabolizing glucose and physiologically relevant concentrations of urea simultaneously, demonstrated that increasing the urease activity of plaque bacteria resulted in a corresponding reduction in the depth and the duration of the glycolytic pH fall. The results demonstrate the feasibility of engineering urease producing S. mutans and suggest that enhancing the ureolytic capacity of dental plaque, particularly cariogenic plaque, may help to offset the progression of the caries process. [References: 26] <22> UI - 1996297661 AU - Rajasuo A AU - Jousimies-Somer H AU - Savolainen S AU - Leppanen J AU - Murtomaa H AU - Meurman JH IN - Dept. of Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 41,FIN-00014, Helsinki; Finland. TI - Bacteriologic findings in tonsillitis and pericoronitis. SO - Clinical Infectious Diseases Vol 23(1) (pp 51-60), 1996. AB - Bacteriologic samples from 31 young men were cultured quantitatively for aerobes and anaerobes; these samples included 31 specimens of tonsils (16 infected and 15 healthy), 16 specimens from pericoronal pockets of lower third molars (11 infected and 5 symptom-free), and 6 postoperative specimens from lower-third-molar extraction sockets. Anaerobes were isolated more often from infected third molars than from infected tonsils (14.5 isolates vs. 8.4 isolates, respectively; P < .001). Infected tonsil samples contained significantly more anaerobic species if an adjacent partly erupted lower third molar was present rather than absent (10.3 isolates vs. 6.9 isolates, respectively; P < .05). Eubacterium aerofaciens, Clostridium species, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Prevotella oris were frequently isolated. Streptococcus salivarius was found more frequently in tonsillar specimens, whereas Corynebacterium species, Prevotella denticola, Capnocytophaga species, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, and Lactobacillus species were more common in pericoronal pocket samples. Thus, partial eruption of lower third molars increases the number of anaerobic bacterial species on tonsils, and many species can be isolated simultaneously from both tonsils and lower third molars. <23> UI - 1996205251 AU - Roberts MC AU - Chung WO AU - Roe DE IN - Department of Pathobiology, Sch. of Public Health/Community Med., University of Washington,Seattle, WA 98195-7238; United States. TI - Characterization of tetracycline and erythromycin resistance determinants in Treponema denticola. SO - Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy Vol 40(7) (pp 1690-1694), 1996. AB - Treponema denticola isolates were evaluated for the presence of known tetracycline and erythromycin resistance determinants by Southern blot hybridization of whole-cell DNA and PCR assays. We examined all isolates available, which included 12 clinical and 4 American Type Culture Collection isolates. Two isolates carried the Tet B determinant, five isolates carried both the Tet B and Erm F determinants, seven isolates carried the Erm F determinant, and two did not carry any of the Tet or Erm determinants tested. Both the Tet B and Erm F determinants appeared to be associated with the chromosome. Neither of the two T. denticola donors tested could transfer the Tet B determinant, but three of four T. denticola donors tested transferred the Erm F determinant to an Enterococcus faecalis recipient. This extends the host range of both the tetB and ermF genes into the genus Treponema. <24> UI - 1996122732 AU - Roe DE AU - Weinberg A AU - Roberts MC IN - Department of Pathobiology, University of Washington,Seattle, WA 98195; United States. TI - Mobile rRNA methylase genes coding for erythromycin resistance in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. SO - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Vol 37(3) (pp 457-464), 1996. AB - We found that 17 (68%) of 25 Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolated from periodontally diseased sites had MICs of erythromycin >= 8 mg/L. The isolates were hybridized with five rRNA methylase genes and gene mobility was determined. Twenty-four (96%) of 25 isolates hybridized with one or more rRNA methylase genes. Representative isolates were able to transfer erythromycin resistance to Haemophilus influenzae and Enterococcus faecalis recipients. The transconjugants were shown to carry rRNA methylase genes by DNA probe hybridization and had MICs of erythromycin 32 to 256 mg/L. <25> UI - 1996034509 AU - Chen Y-YM AU - Burne RA IN - Department of Dental Research, University Rochester School Medicine, 601 Elmwood Avenue,Rochester, NY 14642; United States. TI - Analysis of Streptococcus salivarius urease expression using continuous chemostat culture. SO - FEMS Microbiology Letters Vol 135(2-3) (pp 223-229), 1996. AB - Alkali production from urea by bacterial ureases in the oral cavity is thought to have a major impact on oral health and on the physiology and ecology of oral bacteria. Using continuous chemostat culture, urease activity in Streptococcus salivarius 57.I was examined as a function of growth pH, carbohydrate availability and growth rate. A portion of the S. salivarius ureC gene was amplified by polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) using degenerate primers encoding highly conserved sequences from known ureases. The nucleotide sequence of the PCR product was determined, and was used to compare the level of urease gene expression under different growht conditions. The data indicated that urease was highly expressed at low pH, and expression was also modulated by glucose availability and growth rate. Differential expression was controlled, at least in part, at the transcriptional level. <26> UI - 1996038105 AU - Homonylo-McGavin MK AU - Lee SF IN - Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University,Halifax, NS B3H 3J5; Canada. TI - Role of the C terminus in antigen P1 surface localization in Streptococcus mutans and two related cocci. SO - Journal of Bacteriology Vol 178(3) (pp 801-807), 1996. AB - The C terminus of the major surface protein P1 from Streptococcus mutans is composed of a hydrophilic domain, an LPNTGV motif, a hydrophobic domain, and a charged tail. These features are shared by surface proteins from many gram-positive coccal bacteria. To investigate the role of the C-terminal domains in antigen P1 surface localization, full-length and truncated P1 gene constructs, which were expressed on the shuttle vector pDL276, were transformed into the P1-negative mutant S. mutans SM3352, Streptococcus gordonii DL-1, and Enterococcus faecalis UV202. Transformants were tested for expression of P1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assaying and Western blotting. The results showed that full-length P1 was expressed by transformants of all three bacteria and was localized on the cell surface. A fusion protein composed of the Staphylococcus aureus fibronectin binding protein C terminus and the P1 protein N terminus was found to surface localize in S. mutans. Deletion of the entire C-terminal domains resulted in P1 being expressed in the culture supernatant. A P1 truncation, which carried only the hydrophilic domain at its C terminus, was found partially associated with the cell surface. This truncated P1 was readily removed from the isolated cell wall by hot sodium dodecyl sulfate-mercaptoethanol extraction. In contrast, the full-length P1 remained associated with the isolated cell wall after similar treatment, suggesting covalent linkages between the full- length P1 and the cell wall. The results described above showed that antigen P1 was anchored to the cell wall by its C-terminal domains probably via covalent linkages with the cell wall. The results also support a universal mechanism involving the C-terminal domains for protein surface localization among this group of gram-positive bacteria. <27> UI - 1996029427 AU - Chen Y-YM AU - Clancy KA AU - Burne RA IN - Department of Dental Research, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave.,Rochester, NY 14642; United States. TI - Streptococcus salivarius urease: Genetic and biochemical characterization and expression in a dental plaque streptococcus. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 64(2) (pp 585-592), 1996. AB - The hydrolysis of urea by urease enzymes of oral bacteria is believed to have a major impact on oral microbial ecology and to be intimately involved in oral health and diseases. To begin to understand the biochemistry and genetics of oral ureolysis, a study of the urease of Streptococcus salivarius, a highly ureolytic organism which is present in large numbers on the soft tissues of the oral cavity, has been initiated. By using as a probe a 0.6-kbp internal fragment of the S. salivarius 57.1 ureC gene, two clones from subgenomic libraries of S. salivarius 57.1 in an Escherichia coli plasmid vector were identified. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the presence of one partial and six complete open reading frames which were most homologous to ureIAB-CEFGD of other ureolytic bacteria. Plasmid clones were generated to construct a complete gene cluster and used to transform E. coli and Streptococcus gordonii DL1, a nonureolytic, dental plaque microorganism. The recombinant organisms expressed high levels of urease activity when the growth medium was supplemented with NiCl2. The urease enzyme was purified from E. coli, and its biochemical properties were compared with those of the urease produced by S. salivarius and those of the urease produced by S. gordonii carrying the plasmid-borne ure genes. In all cases, the enzyme had a K(m) of 3.5 to 4.1 mM, a pH optimum near 7.0, and a temperature optimum near 60 [degree] C. S. gordonii carrying the urease genes was then demonstrated to have a significant capacity to temper glycolytic acidification in vitro in the presence of concentrations of urea commonly found in the oral cavity. The ability to genetically engineer plaque bacteria that can modulate environmental pH through ureolysis will open the way to using recombinant ureolytic organisms to test hypotheses regarding the role of oral ureolysis in dental caries, calculus formation, and periodontal diseases. Such recombinant organisms may eventually prove useful for controlling dental caries by replacement therapy. <28> UI - 1995061076 AU - Lacroix J-M AU - Walker CB IN - Ct. Infection/Biomaterials Research, Toronto Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street,Toronto, Ont. M5G 2C4; Canada. TI - Detection and incidence of the tetracycline resistance determinant tet(M) in the microflora associated with adult periodontitis. SO - Journal of Periodontology Vol 66(2) (pp 102-108), 1995. AB - Subgingival plaque samples were collected from 68 patients with adult periodontitis, enumerated on Trypticase-soy blood agar plates, with and without tetracycline at 4 mug/ml, and incubated anaerobically for 5 days. Each different colony morphotype was enumerated, and a representative colony was subcultured for identification and examined for the tetracycline resistance gene tet(M). Both PCR amplification and DNA hybridization, using a fragment of tet(M) from Tn1545, were used to detect tet(M). The PCR primers (5'-GACACGCCAGGACATATGG-3' and 5'-TGCTTTCCTCTTGTTCGAG-3') were chosen to amplify a 397 bp region of tet(M). Tetracycline-resistant bacteria represented approximately 12% of the total viable count. The percentage of tet(M)-positive bacteria in the tetracycline resistant microflora varied from <=0.05 to 83% (mean of 10%). tet(M) was detected in 60% of 204 tetracycline-resistant strains subcultured and identified. The tet(M) containing strains consisted of streptococci (55%, mainly S. intermedius, S. oralis, S. sanguis, and Streptococcus SM4), Actinomyces D01 (14%), Bifidobacterium D05 (11%), and Veillonella spp. (10%). Tetracycline-resistant strains in which tet(M) was not detected included the Prevotella and Bacteroides species (41%, mainly Bacteroides D28, P. intermedia, P. nigrescens, and P. oris). These results suggest that tet(M) is widely spread in the adult periodontal microflora, but it appears, with the exception of S. intermedius, to be mainly associated with microorganisms not considered to be periodontopathogens. Assessment of other tetracycline-resistant genes in oral organisms is needed to fully evaluate the nature of resistance to this antibiotic in the oral flora. <29> UI - 1995045453 AU - Maeda N AU - Arai S AU - Ozaki A AU - Oowada T AU - Takahashi A AU - Fujita H AU - Mizutani T IN - Department of Bacteriology, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Tsurumi 2-1-3,Yokohama, Kanagawa 230; Japan. TI - Experimental dental caries on gnotobiotic inbred mice. SO - Microbiology & Immunology Vol 39(1) (pp 71-73), 1995. AB - The purpose of this study in mono-infected gnotobiotic BALB/cA and C3H/HeN mice was to evaluate the cariogenicity of Enterococcus faecalis. The caries incidence and mean caries score in the BALB/cA mice were significantly higher than those in the C3H/HeN. In both of the mouse strains, the mean number of E. faecalis isolated from the cecum content was almost the same, however, the mean number of E. faecalis from the maxilla of BALB/cA was significantly higher than that of C3H/HeN. These results indicate that C3H/HeN has some factors that prevent E. faecalis from attaching to the tooth surfaces. <30> UI - 1994301142 AU - Gauthier L AU - Thomas S AU - Gagnon G AU - Frenette M AU - Trahan L AU - Vadeboncoeur C IN - Department Biochemistry (Sciences), Faculty of Dentistry, University Laval,Laval, Que. G1K 7P4; Canada. TI - Positive selection for resistance to 2-deoxyglucose gives rise, in Streptococcus salivarius, to seven classes of pleiotropic mutants, including ptsH and ptsI missense mutants. SO - Molecular Microbiology Vol 13(6) (pp 1101-1109), 1994. AB - We have used the toxic non-metabolizable glucose/mannose analogue 5-deoxyglucose to isolate a comprehensive collection of mutants of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system from Streptococcus salivarius. To increase the range of possible mutations, we isolated spontaneous mutants on different media containing 2-deoxyglucose and various metabolizable sugars either lactose, melibiose, galactose or fructose. We found that the frequency at which 2-deoxyglucose-resistant mutants were isolated varied according to the growth substrate. The highest frequency was obtained with the combination galactose and 5-deoxyglucose and was 15-fold higher than the rate observed with the mixture melibiose and 2-deoxyglucose, the combination that gave the lowest frequency. By combining results from: (i) Western blot analysis of III(Man), a specific component of the phosphoenolpyruvate:mannose phosphotransferase system in S. salivarius; (ii) rocket immunoelectrophoresis of HPr and El, the two general energy-coupling proteins of the phosphotransferase system; and (iii) from gene sequencing, mutants could be assigned to seven classes. Class 1 was composed of strains devoid of III(L)(Man), a low-molecular-weight form of III(Man) (35200), class 2 was composed of strains exhibiting a reduced level of III(L)(Man), class 3 was composed of strains devoid of both forms of III(Man) (III(L)(Man) as well as III(L)(Man), the high-molecular-weight form of III(Man) (38900)), class 4 was composed of mutants bearing a mutation in ptsH, the gene encoding HPr, class 5 was composed of mutants bearing a mutation in ptsI, the gene encoding El, class 6 was composed of 2-deoxyglucose-resistant strains without any apparent defect in PTS components, and class 7 was composed of strains possessing both forms of III(Man) but abnormal levels of HPr and/or El without any mutation in the ptsH and/or the ptsI genes. Preliminary characterization of representative strains of each class is reported. <31> UI - 1994276819 AU - Hardie JM AU - Whiley RA IN - Department of Oral Microbiology, The London Hospital Medical College, Turner St,London E1 2AD; United Kingdom. TI - Recent developments in streptococcal taxonomy: Their relation to infections. SO - Reviews in Medical Microbiology Vol 5(3) (pp 151-162), 1994. AB - The classification of the streptococci has changed considerably in recent years, with the description of several new species, the re-naming of others, and the re-allocation of some former Streptococcus species to different genera. Phenotypic identification schemes have not kept pace with these taxonomic developments and there is considerable scope for improvement, perhaps with increased use of rapid enzyme-based methods involving fluorogenic or chromogenic substrates. Nucleic acid probes have been described for identification of several streptococcal species and the design of such probes has been greatly facilitated by the availability of 16S rRNA sequence data for most species. The pathogenic significance of some of the more recently described species is not fully understood. Many, if not all of the oral streptococci appear to be involved in infective endocarditis, although not with equal frequency; several can also be a significant cause of infection in immunologically-compromised patients. Within the oral streptococci the 'Streptococcus milleri group' are frequently isolated from purulent infections and there is evidence for some specificity in the distribution of Streptococcus intermedius, S. constellatus and S. anginosus at different body sites. The S. mutans group are important aetiological agents in dental caries, and almost any of the oral streptococci may be involved in other infections in the mouth. In addition to the obvious need for more epidemiological data on the role of the newly described species in human and animal disease, further studies on their virulence mechanisms are also indicated. <32> UI - 1994135771 AU - Lamont RJ AU - Gil S AU - Demuth DR AU - Malamud D AU - Rosan B IN - Department of Oral Biology, University of Washington,Seattle, WA 98195; United States. TI - Molecules of streptococcus gordonii that bind to porphyromonas gingivalis. SO - Microbiology Vol 140(4) (pp 867-872), 1994. AB - Interbacterial binding is considered an important colonization mechanism for many of the organisms that inhabit dental plaque. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, can adhere to species that comprise early plaque, such as Streptococcus gordonii. In this study, the molecules of S. gordonii G9B that mediate binding to P. gingivalis were investigated. Biotinylated surface molecules of S. gordonii were extracted and mixed with P. gingivalis cells. Interactive streptococcal components were identified by SDS-PAGE of the P. gingivalis cells followed by electroblotting, and visualization of the adsorbed streptococcal molecules with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase. S. gordonii molecules of 45 kDa and a doublet of 62/60 kDa were observed to bind to P. gingivalis. Polyclonal antibodies raised to the 62/60 kDa proteins inhibited the binding interaction. These antibodies demonstrated an antigenic relationship between the 62/60 kDa molecules and the 45 kDa protein. Both molecules were also antigenically related to, and may be breakdown products of, a larger molecule of 170 kDa which is antigenically related to the P1 antigen of S. mutans. Cloning and expression in Enterococcus faecalis of the gene for the P1-like molecule from S. gordonii M5 resulted in a phenotype that expressed the 62/60 kDa and 45 kDa antigens and was capable of binding to P. gingivalis. These results suggest that a P1-1ike molecule in S. gordonii is involved in adherence to P. gingivalis. Processing of the P1-1ike molecule into smaller fragments of 62/60 kDa and 45 kDa may be required for binding activity. <33> UI - 1994012822 AU - Moisset A AU - Schatz N AU - Lepoivre Y AU - Amadio S AU - Wachsmann D AU - Scholler M AU - Klein J-P IN - Faculte de Pharmacie, Unite INSERM, Batiment D, 74, Route du Rhin,67401 Illkirch Cedex; France. TI - Conservation of salivary glycoprotein-interacting and human immunoglobulin G-cross-reactive domains of antigen I/II in oral streptococci. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 62(1) (pp 184-193), 1994. AB - In this study we localized more precisely the salivary glycoprotein- interacting and the human immunoglobulin G (hIgG)-cross-reacting domains on the SR molecule, an antigen I/II-related protein from S. mutans serotype f. Mapping of the SR molecule with polypeptides expressed by subclones covering the entire molecule and with synthetic peptides demonstrates that the salivary glycoprotein-binding domain is located in the N-terminal alanine- rich repeats of the SR molecule. In order to investigate the degree of conservation of both regions in various oral streptococci, we tested the reactivity of 8 representative strains of the mutans group and 11 nonmutans oral Streptococcus strains (S. anginosus, S. milleri, S. constellatus, S. intermedius, S. mitis, S. sanguis, S. gordonii, S. salivarius, and S. mitis strains) with antipeptide antibodies in a whole-cell enzyme linked immunosorbent assay together with colony hybridization analysis using DNA probes designed to map these two regions. All the mutans group strains except S. rattus and the 11 nonmutans streptococcal strains showed a high conservation of the C-terminal part of the SR molecule, especially the hIgG- cross-reacting domain, and less homology for the N-terminal salivary glycoprotein-binding region. Almost all of the sera from patients with rheumatic disease reacted strongly with SR from S. mutans serotype f, P1 from S. mutans serotype c, and four peptides located in the hIgG-cross-reacting region and not with peptides located at the C and N termini and in the proline-rich repeats. These results confirm that epitopes located within this region are immunogenic in humans and could lead to the synthesis of natural anti-IgG antibodies. <34> UI - 1993360159 AU - Christensen PJ AU - Kutty K AU - Adlam RT AU - Taft TA AU - Kampschroer BH IN - 5000 West Chambers,Milwaukee, WI 53210; United States. TI - Septic pulmonary embolism due to periodontal disease. SO - Chest Vol 104(6) (pp 1927-1929), 1993. AB - Three weeks following a toothache, a 56-year-old man developed cough, sputum, fever, and pleuritic chest pain. He had mild periodontal disease and his chest radiographs and chest computed tomographic (CT) scans showed multiple pulmonary nodules. The CT scan strongly suggested septic pulmonary embolism. Aspirated pus from one of the nodules yielded pure growth of Streptococcus intermedius. Lesions resolved with antimicrobial therapy. The usual predisposing factors for septic pulmonary embolism were absent, and, the isolation of S intermedius from the pus, the antecedent toothache, and periodontal disease all suggested the gingiva as the source. We hypothesize that periodontal infection led to bacteremia, seeding of the lungs, and multiple anaerobic pulmonary abscesses, akin to reported instances of infective endocarditis from dental foci without any prior dental procedures. To our knowledge, this presentation of septic pulmonary embolism is unprecedented. <35> UI - 1993298962 AU - Anonymous TI - Prophylaxis and treatment of adverse oral conditions with biologically active peptides. SO - Current Opinion in Therapeutic Patents Vol 3(9) (pp 1374-1376), 1993. AB - Novelty: The use of ion-channel forming peptides for the treatment of bacterial (eg. Streptococcus salivarius), fungal (eg. Candida albicans) or viral oral conditions is disclosed. They are potentially useful for the treatment of periodontal disease, gingivitis, plaque, halitosis and dental caries. Biology: MIC values against a wide range of oral bacteria were determined by in vitro standard test. All peptides assessed were effective with MIC values as low as 2 mug/ml. Results are presented in tables. Chemistry: Full amino acid sequences are provided. <36> UI - 1993239087 AU - Giffard PM AU - Allen DM AU - Milward CP AU - Simpson CL AU - Jacques NA IN - Institute of Dental Research, United Dental Hospital, 2 Chalmers Street,Surry Hills, NSW2010; Australia. TI - Sequence of the gtfK gene of Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975 and evolution of the gtf genes of oral streptococci. SO - Journal of General Microbiology Vol 139(7) (pp 1511-1522), 1993. AB - Many strains of oral streptococci secrete glucosyltransferases (GTFs) that polymerize sucrose into glucans that form an integral part of the plaque matrix on the tooth surface. Recently, we reported the cloning of two closely linked GTF-encoding genes (gtfJ and gtfK) from Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975 as well as the sequence of gtfJ, which encodes a primer-dependent GTF that synthesizes an insoluble product (a GTF-I). In this communication we report the sequence of gtfK, which encodes a primer-dependent GTF that synthesizes a soluble product (a GTF-S), as well as the sequence of a small downstream open reading frame of unknown function. The deduced sequence of GtfK was compared with those of seven other streptococcal Gtfs and an unrooted phylogenetic tree constructed. This analysis suggested that Gtfs with similar product specificities do not form phylogenetic clusters and was consistent with currently accepted phylogenetic schemes. The tree was tested by constructing a series of 'sub-trees' from different blocks of the alignment. Evidence was obtained for recombination events involving gtfB and gtfC from S. mutans GS-5, gtfJ and gtfK from S. salivarius, as well as the gtfI genes from S. downei and S. sobrinus. The recombination events between gtfB and gtfC, and between the two gtfI genes, were confirmed by examining divergences at silent sites. <37> UI - 1993214959 AU - Lapointe R AU - Frenette M AU - Valdeboncoeur C IN - GREB, Dept. of Biochemistry (Sciences), Universite Laval,Laval, Que. G1K 7P4; Canada. TI - Altered expression of several genes in III(L)(Man)-defective mutants of Streptococcus salivarius demonstrated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of cytoplasmic proteins. SO - Research in Microbiology Vol 144(4) (pp 305-316), 1993. AB - Mannose, glucose and fructose are transported in Streptococcus salivarius by a phosphoenolpyruvate:mannose phosphotransferase system (PTS) which consists of a membrane-bound Enzyme II (EII) and two forms of III(Man) having molecular weights of 38,900 (III(H)(Man)) and 35,200 (III(L)(Man)), respectively. We have previously reported the isolation of spontaneous mutants lacking III(L)(Man) and showed that they exhibit higher beta-galactosidase activity than the parental strain after growth on glucose, and that some of them constitutively express a fructose PTS which is induced by fructose in the parental strain. In an attempt to determine whether the expression of other genes is affected by the mutation and what the physiological link is between them, we examined three S. salivarius III(L)(Man)-defective mutants (strains A37, B31 and G29) and the parental strain using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis after growth of the cells on a variety of sugars. After growth on glucose, five new proteins were detected in the cytoplasm of the three mutants. Two of these proteins were induced in the parental strain by galactose or oligosaccharides containing galactose, and one was specifically induced by melibiose. The other two proteins were not detected in the parental strain under any of the growth conditions tested. Two other proteins were only detected in glucose-grown cells of mutant A37, and a protein associated with the metabolism of fructose was constitutively expressed in mutants B31 and G29. Moreover, we have found that under identical growth conditions the amounts of several other proteins which were detected in the parental strain were either increased or decreased in the mutants. Globally, our results have indicated that (1) the expression of several genes was affected in the spontaneous III(L)(Man)-defective mutants; (2) some of the proteins abnormally produced in the mutants were specifically induced in the parental strain by sugars; (3) the phenotypic modifications observed in the mutants were of two types: most were observed solely after growth of the cells on glucose whereas the others were glucose-independent; and (4) the mutants shared common phenotypic traits, but also exhibited idiosyncratic characteristics. <38> UI - 1993057141 AU - Lewis MAO AU - Milligan SG AU - MacFarlane TW AU - Carmichael FA IN - Dept. of Oral Medicine/Pathology, University of Glasgow, Dental Hospital and School, 378 Sauchiehall Street,Glasgow G2 3JZ; United Kingdom. TI - Phagocytosis of bacterial strains isolated from acute dentoalveolar abscess. SO - Journal of Medical Microbiology Vol 38(2) (pp 151-154), 1993. AB - The phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leucocytes of 37 bacterial strains identified as Streptococcus milleri (10 strains), strictly anaerobic gram-positive cocci (10) Prevotella intermedia (6), Pr. oralis (5) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (6) was investigated in vitro. The ingestion of S. milleri and strictly anaerobic gram-positive cocci was significantly greater (p<0.001) than that of strains of Prevotella spp. and F. nucleatum. The degree of uptake of capsulate and non-capsulate strains did not differ. <39> UI - 1993015434 AU - Fukushima K AU - Okada T AU - Ochiai K IN - Department of Microbiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry,Matsudo, Chiba 271; Japan. TI - Production, characterization, and application of monoclonal antibodies which distinguish three glucosyltransferases from Streptococcus mutans. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 61(1) (pp 323-328), 1993. AB - Thirty-three murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the three glucosyltransferases (GTFs) (GTF-I, -SI, and -S) from Streptococcus mutans were obtained by the fusion of murine myeloma cells (P3X63-Ag8-U1) with spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with pure GTF-S or partially purified GTF-I from serotype c S. mutans PS14. The immunoreactivities of these MAbs were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting (immunoblotting) with various GTF preparations. GTF-I and GTF-SI were expressed from two Streptococcus milleri or Escherichia coli transformants harboring gtfB or gtfC, respectively. All of the five MAbs raised against the GTF-S from PS14 reacted only with the homologous enzyme. All 28 MAbs obtained by using the GTF-I from PS14 also reacted only with the homologous enzymes. Of these, 8 MAbs reacted only with the gtfB gene product (GTF-I), 4 MAbs reacted only with the gtfC gene product (GTF-SI), and the remaining 16 MAbs reacted with both gene products. The existence of GTF-SI in the purified GTF- I from PS14 was demonstrated by Western blot analysis using the representative monospecific MAbs. Further, the relative levels of the three GTFs in the extracellular and cellular fractions of S. mutans clinical isolates were examined by immunoblot analysis. The findings indicated that the relative level of GTF-SI, unlike that of GTF-I or GTF-S, differed markedly among isolates although the three GTFs were synthesized extracellularly by all the strains. <40> UI - 1993006581 AU - Granath L AU - Cleaton-Jones P AU - Fatti LP AU - Grossman ES IN - Department of Pedodontics, School of Dentistry, Lund University,S-214 21 Malmo; Sweden. TI - Prevalence of dental caries in 4- to 5-year-old children partly explained by presence of salivary mutans streptococci. SO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol 31(1) (pp 66-70), 1993. AB - The correlation between dental caries and the number of oral mutans group streptococci (ms) present has been shown to be weak. The aim of this investigation was to study associations between caries experience (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces [dmfs]) and the number of ms in stimulated saliva, with emphasis on the level of disease and the confounding effect of regular intake of sweets, the presence of salivary lactobacilli, and oral hygiene. In some 2,700 4- to 5-year-old South African children of different ethnic origins, caries was diagnosed on the basis of World Health Organization criteria and saliva samples were analyzed for ms after cultivation on mitis salivarius-bacitracin agar and for lactobacilli by using the Dentocult kit. Oral hygiene was scored on the basis of the Greene and Vermillion simplified debris index, while data on intake of sweets were derived from extensive interviews. Pearson's coefficient of correlation was computed, and multiple regression analysis was performed to correct for confounding factors. The distribution of the children in the eight caries classes was strongly associated with the ms class (P < 0.001), with those in the lower ms classes generally having low dmfs scores and those in the higher ms classes having dmfs scores distributed over the whole range. The r value for the two variables was 0.25 for the total material; this was reduced to 0.18 by correction for confounding factors. The corresponding values for children with caries were 0.21 and 0.17, for those in the 1 to 6 dmfs interval they were 0.07 and 0.03, and for those in the 7 to 81 dmfs interval they were 0.16 and 0.14. The data imply that the explanatory values of ms, those for the lower caries interval not counted, ranged from 6 to 2%. The unexpected results for children with caries might be due to their distribution pattern. It is concluded that there is a need for reevaluation of ms as a risk factor in dental caries. <41> UI - 1992257978 AU - Piscitelli SC AU - Shwed J AU - Schreckenberger P AU - Danziger LH IN - Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street,Chicago, IL 60612; United States. TI - Streptococcus milleri group: Renewed interest in an elusive pathogen. SO - European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Vol 11(6) (pp 491-498), 1992. AB - The following review examines the bacteriological characteristics, epidemiology, pathogenicity and antimicrobial susceptibility of the 'Streptococcus milleri group'. 'Streptococcus milleri group' is a term for a large group of streptococci which includes Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus constellatus and Streptococcus anginosus. Usually considered commensals, these organisms are often associated with various pyogenic infections including cardiac, abdominal, skin and central nervous system infections. Organisms of the 'Streptococcus milleri group' are often unrecognized pathogens due to the lack of uniformity in classifications and difficulties in microbiological identification. Penicillin G, cephalosporins, clindamycin and vancomycin all possess activity against these streptococci. Use of agents with poor activity may promote infections with 'Streptococcus milleri group' and allow it to exhibit its pathogenicity. An understanding of these organisms may aid in their recognition and proper treatment. <42> UI - 1992245394 AU - Honeyman AL AU - Curtiss III R IN - Department of Biology, Washington University,St. Louis, MO 63130; United States. TI - Isolation, characterization, and nucleotide sequence of the Streptococcus mutans mannitol-phosphate dehydrogenase gene and the mannitol-specific factor III gene of the phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 60(8) (pp 3369-3375), 1992. AB - Streptococcus mutans, the causative agent of dental caries, utilizes carbohydrates by means of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS). The PTS facilitates vectorial translocation of metabolizable carbohydrates to form the corresponding sugar-phosphates, which are subsequently converted to glycolytic intermediates. The PTS consists of both sugar-specific and sugar-independent components. Complementation of an Escherichia coli mtlD mutation with a streptococcal recombinant DNA library allowed isolation of the mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (mtlD) and the adjacent sugar-specific mannitol factor III gene (mtlF) from S. mutans. Subsequent transposon mutagenesis of the complementing DNA fragment with Tn5seq1 defined the region that encodes the mtlD-complementing activity, the streptococcal mtlD gene. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this region revealed two complete open reading frames (ORFs) from within the streptococcal mannitol PTS operon. One ORF encodes the mtlD gene product, a 43.0-kDa protein which exhibits similarity to the E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenases. The second ORF encodes a 15.8-kDa protein which exhibits similarity to mannitol factor III proteins from several bacterial species. In vitro transcription-translation assays were used to produce proteins of the sizes predicted by the streptococcal ORFs. These data indicate that the S. mutans mannitol PTS utilizes an enzyme II-factor III complex similar to the mannitol system found in other gram-positive organisms, as opposed to that of E. coli, which utilizes an independent enzyme II system. <43> UI - 1992219639 AU - Fukushima K AU - Ikeda T AU - Kuramitsu HK IN - Department of Microbiology, School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Nihon University,Chiba 271; Japan. TI - Expression of Streptococcus mutans gtf genes in Streptococcus milleri. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 60(7) (pp 2815-2822), 1992. AB - The Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferase (GTF) genes gtfB and gtfC were ligated into Escherichia coli-streptococcus shuttle plasmids and introduced into Streptococcus milleri. gtfB transformant KSB8 formed an S. mutans-like rough colony on mitis salivarius agar and expressed an extracellular GTF-I, of 158 kDa, and two cell-bound GTF-Is, of 158 and 135 kDa. gtfC transformant KSC43 formed a semirough colony on mitis salivarius agar and expressed primarily an extracellular GTF-SI, of 146 kDa, and two cell-bound GTF-SIs, of 146 and 152 kDa. The extracellular GTFs from KSB8 and KSC43 were purified and characterized. The two types of GTF also reacted specifically with monoclonal antibodies directed against each enzyme. Both enzymes synthesized significant amounts of oligosaccharides, consisting primarily of alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages, as well as water-insoluble glucans, containing alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages. Insoluble-glucan-synthesizing activities of both enzymes were stimulated (three- to sixfold) by the addition of dextran T10 and were inhibited in the presence of 1.5 M ammonium sulfate. The K(m)s for sucrose and the optimal pHs were also similar for both enzymes. However, when the transformants were grown in Todd-Hewitt broth supplemented with sucrose, KSC43 cells, expressing GTF-SI activity, adhered to glass surfaces in vitro, while KSB8 cells, expressing GTF-I activity, did not. These results are discussed relative to the potential role of the gtfB and gtfC genes in S. mutans cariogenicity. <44> UI - 1992148453 AU - Levy RD AU - Eisenberg AD IN - Eastman Dental Center,Rochester, NY; United States. TI - Effects of arginine and arginyl-L-arginine on the glucose-mediated pH fall of Streptococcus rattus and Streptococcus milleri. SO - Caries Research Vol 26(2) (pp 142-145), 1992. <45> UI - 1991350060 AU - Wohl TA AU - Kattah JC AU - Kolsky MP AU - Alper MG AU - Horton JC IN - Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, University of California,San Francisco, CA 94143-0350; United States. TI - Hemianopsia from occipital lobe abscess after dental care. SO - American Journal of Ophthalmology Vol 112(6) (pp 689-694), 1991. AB - We treated four patients who developed a homonymous hemianopsia from a bacterial abscess in the occipital lobe of the brain. All four patients were treated successfully by surgical drainage of the abscess and administration of parenteral antibiotics for at least six weeks. Despite cure of the brain abscess, each patient was left with a permanent residual homonymous visual field defect. Cultures from the abscess fluid in three of the four patients grew oral flora. Moreover, each patient had a history of dental care two to four weeks before the onset of visual symptoms. A history of recent dental treatment in a patient with a new hemianoptic field defect should alert the ophthalmologist to the possibility of a bacterial abscess in the occipital lobe. <46> UI - 1991339667 AU - Giffard PM AU - Simpson CL AU - Milward CP AU - Jacques NA IN - Institute of Dental Research, United Dental Hosp. of Sydney,Surry Hills, NSW 2010; Australia. TI - Molecular characterization of a cluster of at least two glucosyltransferase genes in Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975. SO - Journal of General Microbiology Vol 137(11) (pp 2577-2593), 1991. AB - The oral micro-organism Streprococcus salivarius ATCC 25975 synthesizes extracellular glucosyltransferases (GTFs) which polymerize the glucose moiety of sucrose into glucan polymers. Two separate genes encoding the activities of a GTF-I (a GTF that synthesizes an insoluble product) and a GTF-S (a GTF that synthesizes soluble product) were cloned into bacteriophage lambdaL47.1. The inserts in the lambda-clones were characterized by restriction mapping and Southern hybridization and were found to overlap, implying that the two genes lay very close to one another on the S. salivarius chromosome. Both genes were subcloned into phagemid vector pIBI30 where they were expressed at a high level. The GTF-I-encoding gene was named gtfJ and the GTF-S-encoding gene, gtfK. Nucleotide sequencing showed that gtfJ and most probably gtfK were closely related to the gtS genes of the mutans streptococci. Sequence alignment also indicated that gtfK lay very close to and downstream from gtfJ, and that both were transcribed in the same direction. <47> UI - 1991301741 AU - Lamont RJ AU - Demuth DR AU - Davis CA AU - Malamud D AU - Rosan B IN - Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Washington,Seattle, WA 98195; United States. TI - Salivary-agglutinin-mediated adherence of Streptococcus mutans to early plaque bacteria. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 59(10) (pp 3446-3450), 1991. AB - Interspecies binding is important in the colonization of the oral cavity by bacteria. Streptococcus mutans can adhere to other plaque bacteria, such as Streptococcus sanguis and Actinomyces viscosus, and this adherence is enhanced by saliva. The salivary and bacterial molecules that mediate this interaction were investigated. Salivary agglutinin, a mucinlike glycoprotein known to mediate the aggregation of many oral streptococci in vitro, was found to mediate the adherence of S. mutans to S. sanguis or A. viscosus. Adherence of S. mutans to saliva- or agglutinin-coated S. sanguis and A. viscosus was inhibited by antibodies to the bacterial agglutinin receptor. Expression of the S. sanguis receptor (SSP-5) gene in Enterococcus faecalis increased adhesion of this organism to saliva- or agglutinin-coated S. sanguis and A. viscosus. This interaction could be inhibited by antibodies to the agglutinin receptor. The results suggest that salivary agglutinin can promote adherence of S. mutans to S. sanguis and A. viscosus through interactions with the agglutinin receptor on S. mutans. <48> UI - 1991142615 AU - Schaumann JB AU - Tagg JR IN - Department of Microbiology, University of Otago, Dunedin; New Zealand. TI - Development and application of a simple filter paper imprinting technique for the detection and enumeration of colonies of ureolytic micro-organisms. SO - Letters in Applied Microbiology Vol 12(4) (pp 117-120), 1991. AB - A rapid, simple and inexpensive method has been devised to determine the proportion of colonies of ureolytic organisms in cultures of complex microbial populations. Spiral plated cultures displaying well separated colonies are tested for ureolytic micro-organisms by imprinting the colonies onto filter papers impregnated with a solution of 1 mol/l urea and phenol red (0.1% w/v) in 0.1 mol/l phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). A rapid colour change indicates ureolytic activity. The proportion of ureolytic colony-forming units in cultures of saliva specimens from 90 school children ranged from less than 1% to 40% (mean 9.9% +/- 7.7). Saliva and dental plaque specimens from 16 adult subjects were also tested and the occurrence of urease-positive organisms was substantially less in plaque (3.6% +/- 3.7, range 0.1-12) than saliva (18.7% +/- 13.8, range 1.3-51). The predominant ureolytic oral species was Streptococcus salivarius, 75 (54.7%) of 137 tested isolates being urease-positive. <49> UI - 1991058359 AU - Longman LP AU - Pearce PK AU - McGowan P AU - Hardy P AU - Martin MV IN - Department of Clinical Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX; United Kingdom. TI - Antibiotic-resistant oral streptococci in dental patients susceptible to infective endocarditis. SO - Journal of Medical Microbiology Vol 34(1) (pp 33-37), 1991. AB - The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of amoxycillin and erythromycin resistance in oral streptococci in patients at risk from infective endocarditis. Samples of gingival crevicular flora were taken from 65 patients at the site of dental treatment, prior to the prophylactic administration of amoxycillin (54 patients) or erythromycin (11 patients). Samples were also taken from 65 dental patients who were not considered to be at risk from infective endocarditis. No isolate had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amoxycyllin >24 mg/L. However, erythromycin-resistant oral streptococci with MIC values > 3.5 mg/L were isolated from 22% of patients receiving amoxycillin prophylaxis, 9% of patients receiving amoxycillin prophylaxis, 9% of patients given erythromycin prophylaxis and 9% of patients not at risk from infective endocarditis. The antibiotic-resistant streptococci comprised mainly Streptococcus sanguis biotype II, although S. sanguis biotype I, S. mitis and S. salivarius were also frequently recovered. <50> UI - 1990274814 AU - ter Steeg PF AU - van der Hoeven JS IN - Preventive and Community Densitry, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, NL; Netherlands. TI - Growth stimulation of Treponema denticola by periodontal microorganisms. SO - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General & Molecular Microbiology Vol 57(2) (pp 63-70), 1990. AB - Previous experiments have indicated that enrichment of subgingival plaque in human serum can lead to the accumulation of Treponema denticola. T. denticola depends on bacterial interactions for its growth in serum. Aim of the present study was to identify specific microorganisms involved in the growth stimulation of T. denticola. To this end, strains isolated from previous plaque enrichment cultures were tested for growth stimulation in co-cultures with T. denticola. In addition, growth of T. denticola was tested in culture filtrates of the same strains, Bacteroides intermedius, Eubacterium nodatum, Veillonella parvula and Fusobacterium nucleatum were found to enhance growth of T. denticola in co-cultures. A continuous co-culture of T. denticola, F. nucleatum and B. intermedius in human serum gave very high levels of T. denticola, up to 3.109. ml-1. Mechanisms involved in growth stimulation may include the ability of B. intermedius and E. nodatum to cleave the protein-core of serum (glyco-)proteins, making these molecules accessible for degradation by T. denticola. In addition, E. nodatum was found to produce a low-molecular weight growth-factor for T. denticola, that was heat-stable and acid as well as alkaline resistant. V. parvula may provide peptidase activities complementary to those of T. denticola. The nature of the growth enhancing activity of F. nucleatum is yet unknown. The data support the dependency of T. denticola on other bacterial species for growth in the periodontal pocket. <51> UI - 1990236932 AU - Lamster IB AU - Celenti R AU - Ebersole JL IN - Division of Periodontics, Columbia University, School of Dental/Oral Surgery, 630 West 168th Street,New York, NY 10032; United States. TI - The relationship of serum IgG antidbody titers to periodontal pathogens to indicators of the host response in crevicular fluid. SO - Journal of Clinical Periodontology Vol 17(7 I) (pp 419-425), 1990. AB - In this study, the relationship of indicators of the local host response in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) to the serum antibody titer to periodontal pathogens was examined. 15 patients with chronic adult periodontitis were studied. GCF was collected and analyzed for the total amount of IgG, IgM, the lysosomal enzyme B-glucuronidase (BG) and alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha2M). At the same examination, serum from these patients was collected, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays used to determine the serum IgG antibody titer to a panel of 17 periodontal pathogens (Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (3 strains), Bacteroides gingivalis (4), Eikenella corrodens (2), Wolinella recta, Bacteroides intermedius (3), Fusobacterium nucleatum, and 3 Capnocytophaga species). Using Spearman rank order correlation analysis, correlation coefficients were calculated to relate the 4 indicators of host response in GCF to the serum IgG antibody titer to each of the 17 micro-organisms. The mean correlation between total IgG in GCF and the serum IgG antibody titer was positive (r = +0.30), and statistically significant correlations between total IgG in GCF and serum IgG antibody titer were observed for one strain of B. intermedius and C. ochracea. A weaker positive correlation was observed for IgM (r = 0.18). In contrast, the mean correlation between total BG in GCF and the serum antibody titer was negative (r = -0.34). Statistically significant negative correlations were observed for all 3 strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans, one strain of E. corrodens and W. recta. The mean correlation for alpha2M was r = -0.06. These data suggest that elevated BG activity in GCF, believed to be a marker for lysosomal enzyme released from polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the crevicular environment, may be associated with a reduced serum IgG antibody response to suspected periodontal pathogens. Furthermore, these findings imply that the development of a serum IgG antibody response to suspected periodontal pathogens is consistient with a protective host response. <52> UI - 1990218738 AU - Whiley RA AU - Fraser H AU - Hardie JM AU - Beighton D IN - Hunterian Dental Research Unit, London Hospital Med. College, Turner Street,Whitechapel, London E1 2AD; United Kingdom. TI - Phenotypic differentiation of Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus constellatus, and Streptococcus anginosus strains within the 'Streptococcus milleri group'. SO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol 28(7) (pp 1497-1501), 1990. AB - A biochemical scheme was developed by which strains of Streptococcus constellatus, Streptococcus intermedius, and Streptococcus anginosus can reliably be distinguished from within the 'Streptococcus milleri group'. Strains identified as S. intermedius were differentiated by the ability to produce detectable levels of alpha-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-D-fucosidase, beta-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, and sialidase with 4-methylumbelliferyl-linked fluorogenic substrates in microdilution trays after 3 h of incubation at 37 [degree] C, together with the production of hyaluronidase. Strains of S. constellatus and S. anginosus were differentiated by the production of alpha-glucosidase and hyaluronidase by the former and the production of beta-glucosidase by the latter. The majority of strains of the S. milleri group obtained from dental plaque were identified as S. intermedius, as were most strains isolated form abscesses of the brain and liver. Strains of S. constellatus and S. anginosus were from a wider variety of infections, both oral and nonoral, than were strains of S. intermedius, with the majority of strains from urogenital infections being identified as S. anginosus. <53> UI - 1990198510 AU - Sato S AU - Yoshimitsu-Narita A AU - Eifuku H AU - Inoue M IN - Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kagoshima University Dental School, 1208-1 Usuki-cho, Kagoshima 890; Japan. TI - Isolation and some properties of extracellular glucan-producing strains of human oral Streptococcus salivarius. SO - Microbios Vol 62(251) (pp 101-112), 1990. <54> UI - 1990192073 AU - Johnson IH IN - Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Melbourne, 711 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000; Australia. TI - Glucanase-producing organisms in human dental plaques. SO - Microbios Vol 61(247) (pp 89-98), 1990. AB - Selective media were used to isolate a wide range of bacteria from sixty human dental plaques. Glucanase activities of the isolates were determined on dextran- and starch-containing media. All sixty samples of dental plaque yielded some colonies showing amylolytic and dextranolytic activities. The glucanase-producing organisms comprised 20% of the isolates. Of these 38% were Gram-positive rods, 27% Gram-positive cocci, 28% Gram-negative rods and 7% were Gram-negative cocci. The cultural groups most commonly represented among the glucanase-producing isolates were Actinomycetaceae, streptococci, haemophili and Gram-negative anaerobes. Species prominent among these isolates included Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus mitior, Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces viscosus, Bacterionema matruchotii, Bifidobacterium sp. and Bacteroides sp. No isolates capable of degrading starch or dextran were identified as Streptococcus milleri, Rothia dentocariosa or Fusobacterium sp. This study has shown that a wide range of bacterial species commonly isolated from human dental plaques exhibit both amylolytic and dextranolytic activities. In order to understand glucan metabolism in human dental plaques further investigation of these catabolic activities is necessary. <55> UI - 1990184699 AU - Bradshaw DJ AU - McKee AS AU - Marsh PD IN - Pathology Division, PHLS Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 OJG; United Kingdom. TI - Prevention of population shifts in oral microbial communities in vitro by low fluoride concentrations. SO - Journal of Dental Research Vol 69(2) (pp 436-441), 1990. AB - A continuous culture system has been used to study the effects of low (sub-MIC) levels of sodium fluoride on the stability and metabolism of a defined oral microbial community. The microflora was also subjected to glucose pulses at pH 7.0, with and without subsequent pH control. At pH 7.0, a continuous supply of 1 mmol/L NaF reduced slightly the viable counts of the oral microflora, although their proportions were relatively unaffected. At pH 7.0, during glucose pulsing, 1 mmol/L NaF prevented the rise in proportions of A. viscosus and reduced the levels of B. intermedius. Glucose pulsing without pH control and in the absence of fluoride markedly inhibited the growth of many species, and L. casei, V. dispar, and S. mutans predominated in the culture. Fluoride (1 mmol/L), either pulsed with the glucose or provided continuously, reduced both the rate of change and the degree of fall in pH, and in doing so prevented the enrichment of S. mutans in the culture. Fluoride also reduced the pH-mediated inhibition of other members of the oral community, although S. sanguis was inhibited even further. Thus, even sub-MIC levels of fluoride may have a beneficial anti-bacterial effect on dental plaque by interfering with acid production. This would reduce the pH-mediated disruption to the balance of the microflora and suppress the selection of S. mutans. <56> UI - 1990156694 AU - Osano E AU - Tanaka T AU - Ozeki M AU - Makita I AU - Moriyama T IN - Department of Microbiology, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University, Nagoya, Aichi 464; Japan. TI - Serogrouping of oral Streptococcus intermedius. SO - Microbiology & Immunology Vol 34(2) (pp 211-219), 1990. AB - Employing twenty fresh oral isolates of Streptococcus intermedius, studies were carried out to characterize serological relations among the isolates and also between the isolates and the strains of bacterial species closely related to S. intermedius. The Rantz-Randall extracts from the cells were used as antigens. The anti-rabbit serum raised against S. intermedius ATCC 27335(T) reacted with the cell extracts from only three strains of the isolates, which were designated serogroup I strains. The other isolates were classified into four serogroups, I, III, IV, and V, which specifically reacted with the cell extracts from the homologous serogroup strains. However, the serogroup II antiserum formed in immunodiffusion a common precipitin line between the extracts from the cells of serogroups II and I. The serogroups I, III, IV, and V antisera reacted with none of the extracts from the bacterial cells closely related to S. intermedius, which included Streptococcus anginosus ATCC 33397(T), Streptococcus constellatus ATCC 27823(T), three NCTC strains of 'Streptococcus milleri,' and three ATCC strains of Streptococcus MG. The precipitin line formed by the homologous reaction of the serogroup II antiserum was found to be a reaction of identity with that formed by the extract from 'S. milleri' NCTC 10708. Conversely, the antiserum against NCTC 10708 strain did not react with the cell extracts of serogroup II. <57> UI - 1990152169 AU - Jenkinson HF AU - Lala HC AU - Shepherd MG IN - Department of Oral Biology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 647,Dunedin; New Zealand. TI - Coaggregation of Streptococcus sanguis and other streptococci with Candida albicans. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 58(5) (pp 1429-1436), 1990. AB - Thirteen strains of viridans group streptococci and two strains of other streptococci were tested for coaggregation with Candida albicans. Streptococcus sanguis strains generally exhibited low levels of adherence to 28 [degree] C-grown exponential-phase yeast cells, but starvation of yeast cells for glucose at 37 [degree] C (or at 28 [degree] C) increased their coaggregating anxiety with these streptococci by at least tenfold. This was a property common to four C. albicans strains tested, two of which were able to form mycelia (6406 and MEN) and two of which were not (MM2002 and CA2). The expression of the coaggregation adhesin during yeast cell starvation was inhibited by addition of trichodermin or amphotericin B. The strains of S sanguis, Streptococcus gordonii, and Streptococcus oralis tested for coaggregating activity encompassed a diverse range of physiological and morphological types, yet all exhibited saturable coaggregation with starved C. albicans cells. There was no correlation of cell surface hydrophobicity, of either yeast or streptococcal cells, with their abilities to coaggregate. Strains of Streptococcus anginosus also coaggregated with starved yeast cells; Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus pyogenes coaggregated to a lesser degree with C. albicans, and the coaggregation with S. pyogenes was not promoted by yeast cell starvation; Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis did not coaggregate with yeast. The coaggregation reactions of S. sanguis and S. gordonii with C. albicans were inhibited by EDTA and by heat or protease treatment of the yeast cells and were not reversible by the addition of lactose or other simple sugars. These observations extend the range of intergenic coaggregations that are known to occur between oral microbes and suggest that coaggregations of C. albicans with viridans group streptococci may be important for colonization of oral surfaces by the yeast. <58> UI - 1990139573 AU - Iwu C AU - MacFarlane TW AU - MacKenzie D AU - Stenhouse D IN - Oral Microbiology Unit, Dental Hospital and School, 378 Sauchiehall St.,Glasgow G2 3JZ; United Kingdom. TI - The microbiology of periapical granulomas. SO - Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology Vol 69(4) (pp 502-505), 1990. AB - Of the 16 periapical granulomas studied, 14 (88%) yielded a positive growth when homogenized and cultured. The concentration of colony-forming units per milliliter of the suspension ranged from 101.3 to 104.0 (mean 102.2). A total of 47 isolates comprising 26 (55%) facultative anaerobes and 21 (45%) strict anaerobes were obtained. The organisms most commonly cultured were Veillonella species (15%), Streptococcus milleri (11%), Streptococcus sanguis (11%), Actinomyces naeslundii (11%), Propionibacterium acnes (11%), and Bacteroides species (10%). Most of the organisms (96%) were sensitive to either amoxicillin, clindamycin, or tetracycline, whereas only 45% were sensitive to metronidazole. <59> UI - 1990136875 AU - Topoll HH AU - Lange DE AU - Muller RF IN - Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat, Waldeyerstrasse 30, Munster; Germany. TI - Multiple periodontal abscesses after systemic antibiotic therapy. SO - Journal of Clinical Periodontology Vol 17(4) (pp 268-272), 1990. AB - Multiple periodontal abscesses were reported in medically compromised patients. We examkined patients with a non-contributory medical history referred for the treatment of numerous periodontal abscesses. All patients had taken oral broad spectrum antibiotics 1 to 3 weeks prior to the outburst of the abscesses (8 patients: penicillin, 2 patients: tetracycline). The patients suffered from advanced periodontal disease, 82% of the examined sites showed probing depths > 33 mm, 56% attachment loss > 3 mm. Subgingival plaque samples were analysed from 2 different abscess sites. Bacteriodes gingivalis (19/20), Fusobacterium nucleatum (13/20) and Streptococcus intermedius (13/20) were the most prevalent anaerobic microbiota. Strains resistant to the prescribed antibiotic were found in 55% (11/20) of the subgingival plaque samples. It was concluded that in patients with advanced periodontal disease, systemic antibiotic therapy without subgingival debridement may change the composition of the subgingival microbiota, thus favouring the outburst of multiple periodontal abscesses. <60> UI - 1990080444 AU - Jacob AE AU - Horton WA AU - Drucker DB IN - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT; United Kingdom. TI - Genetic transformation in some cariogenic Streptococcus milleri. SO - Microbios Vol 60(244-245) (pp 167-175), 1989. <61> UI - 1990070725 AU - Lantz MS AU - Allen RD AU - Bounelis P AU - Switalski LM AU - Hook M IN - Department of Periodontics, University of Alabama,Birmingham, AL 35294; United States. TI - Bacteroides gingivalis and Bacteroides intermedius recognize different sites on human fibrinogen. SO - Journal of Bacteriology Vol 172(2) (pp 716-726), 1990. AB - Bacteroides (Porphyromonas) gingivalis and Bacteroides (Porphyromonas) intermedius have been implicated in the etiology of human periodontal diseases. These organisms are able to bind and degrade human fibrinogen, and these interactions may play a role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. In attempts to map the bacterial binding sites along the fibrinogen molecule, we have found that strains of B. gingivalis and B. intermedius, respectively, recognize spatially distant and distinct sites on the fibrinogen molecule. Isolated reduced and alkylated alpha-, beta-, and gamma-fibrinogen chains inhibited binding of 125I-fibrinogen to both Bacteroides species in a concentration-dependent manner. Plasmin fragments D and to some extent fragment E, however, produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of 125I-fibrinogen binding to B. intermedius strains but did not affect binding of 125I-fibrinogen to B. gingivalis strains. Radiolabeled fibrinogen chains and fragments were compared with 125I-fibrinogen with respect to specificity and reversibility of binding to bacteria. According to these criteria, gamma chain most closely resembled the native fibrinogen molecule in behavior toward B. gingivalis strains and fragments D most closely resembled fibrinogen in behavior toward B. intermedius strains. The ability of anti-human fibrinogen immunoglobulin G (IgG) to inhibit binding of 125I-fibrinogen to B. intermedius strains was greatly reduced by absorbing the IgG with fragments D. Absorbing the IgG with fragments D had no effect on the ability of the antibody to inhibit binding of 125I-fibrinogen to B. gingivalis strains. A purified staphylococcal fibrinogen-binding protein blocked binding of 125I-fibrinogen to B. intermedius strains but not to B. gingivalis strains. <62> UI - 1990051287 AU - Dix K AU - Watanabe SM AU - McArdle S AU - Lee DI AU - Randolph C AU - Moncla B AU - Schwartz DE IN - Molecular Biology Division, MicroProbe Corporation,Bothell, WA 98021; United States. TI - Species-specific oligodeoxynucleotide probes for the identification of periodontal bacteria. SO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol 28(2) (pp 319-323), 1990. AB - Oligodewxynucleotide probes were developed for identification of the periodontal bacteria Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides gingivalis, B. intermedius types I and II, B. forsythus, Eikenella corrodens, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Haemophilus aphrophilus, Streptococcus intermedius, and Wolinella recta. Probes were designed by sequencing the 16S rRNA for each bacterium, identifying hypervariable regions, and chemically synthesizing species-specific probes. These probes were specific when tested against a panel of nucleic acids from closely related bacteria. <63> UI - 1989266319 AU - Chan ECS AU - Al-Joburi W AU - Cheng S-L AU - Delorme F IN - Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Que. H3A 2B2; Canada. TI - In vitro susceptibilities of oral bacterial isolates to spiramycin. SO - Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy Vol 33(11) (pp 2016-2018), 1989. AB - Four hundred strains of oral bacteria were tested for their susceptibility to spiramycin. Actinobacillous actinomycetemcomitans and most species of Lactobacillus were resistant to the antibiotic. All strains of cariogenic Streptococcus mutans and most strains of bacterial species implicated in adult chronic periodontitis (Bacteroides gingivalis, B. intermedius, and Treponema denticola) were susceptible to spiramycin. <64> UI - 1989151907 AU - Konup LA AU - Konup IP AU - Sklyar VE AU - Kosenko KN AU - Gorodnyuk VP AU - Fedorova GV AU - Nazarov EI AU - Kotlyar SA IN - Odesskij Universitet, Odessa; Ukraine. TI - Antimicrobial activity of aliphatic and aromatic crown-ethers. [Russian] SO - Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal Vol 23(5) (pp 578-583), 1989. <65> UI - 1989141251 AU - Unsworth PF IN - Department of Microbiology, Tameside General Hospital, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 9RW; United Kingdom. TI - Hyaluronidase production in Streptococcus milleri in relation to infection. SO - Journal of Clinical Pathology Vol 42(5) (pp 506-510), 1989. AB - One hundred and seven (41%) of 262 isolates of Streptococcus milleri, from human sources, produced hyalurinodase. Hyaluronidase production was commoner in beta haemolytic isolates 32 of 39 (82%), many of which were of Lancefield group F. But hyaluronidase was also found in alpha and non-haemolytic isolates, and in groups A, C, G, and non-groupable isolates. There was a strong association between hyaluronidase production and isolation from known internal abscesses (48/58, 83%) compared with isolates from the normal flora of uninfected sites (24/97,25%). Isolates from 15 patients with endocarditis were uniformly negative, although 13 of 25 (52%) isolates from dental plaque produced the enzyme. Production of hyaluronidase may therefore be an important determinant in the pathogenicity of infection by S milleri and could be helpful in predicting the likelihood of deep purulent lesions in isolates from blood culture. <66> UI - 1989064546 AU - Fitzgerald RJ AU - Adams BO AU - Sandham HJ AU - Abhyankar S IN - Research Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125; United States. TI - Cariogenicity of a lactate dehydrogenase-deficient mutant of Streptococcus mutans serotype c in gnotobiotic rats. SO - Infection & Immunity Vol 57(3) (pp 823-826), 1989. AB - A lactate dehydrogenase-deficient (Ldh-) mutant of a human isolate of Streptococcus mutans serotype c was tested in a gnotobiotic rat caries model. Compared with the wild-type Ldh-positive (Ldh+) strains, it was significantly (alpha <= 0.005) less cariogenic in experiments with two different sublines of Sprague-Dawley rats. The Ldh- mutant strain 044 colonized the oral cavity of the test animals to the same extent as its parent strain 041, although its initial implantation was slightly but not significantly (P >= 0.2) less. Multiple oral or fecal samples plated on 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium indicator medium revealed no evidence of back mutation from Ldh- to Ldh+ in vivo. Both Ldh+ strain 041 and Ldh- strain 044 demonstrated bacteriocinlike activity in vitro against a number of human strains of mutans streptococci representing serotype a (S. cricetus) and serotypes c and e (S. mutans). Serotypes b (S. rattus) and f (S. mutans) and strains of S. mitior, S. sanguis, and S. salivarius were not inhibited. Thus, Ldh mutant strain 044 possesses a number of desirable traits that suggest it should be investigated further as a possible effector strain for replacement therapy of dental caries. These traits include its stability and low cariogenicity in the sensitive gnotobiotic rat caries model, its bacteriocinlike activity against certain other cariogenic S. mutans (but not against more inocuous indigenous oral streptococci), and the fact that it is a member of the most prevalent human serotype of cariogenic streptococci. <67> UI - 1988279609 AU - Simonsson T AU - Glantz P-O IN - Department of Oral Microbiology, Faculty of Odontology, University of Lund, S-214 21 Malmo; Sweden. TI - Influence of saliva from 'heavy' and 'light' plaque formers on the colloidal stability of bacterial suspensions. Short communication. SO - Acta Odontologica Scandinavica Vol 46(4) (pp 195-197), 1988. <68> UI - 1988277628 AU - Yakushiji T AU - Katsuki M AU - Yoshimitsu A AU - Mizuno J AU - Inoue M IN - Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kagoshima University Dental School, 1208-1 Usuki-Cho, Kagoshima 890; Japan. TI - Isolation and physiological characterization of streptococcus milleri strains from human dental plaque. SO - Microbios Vol 55(224-225) (pp 161-171), 1988. <69> UI - 1988245818 AU - Yakushiji T AU - Konagawa R AU - Oda M AU - Inoue M IN - Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kagoshima University Dental School, Kagoshima 890; Japan. TI - Serological variation in oral Streptococcus milleri. SO - Journal of Medical Microbiology Vol 27(2) (pp 145-151), 1988. AB - Serological variation in 71 oral isolates and three reference strains of Streptococcus milleri was examined. Antisera were raised by immunising rabbits with cells of 10 selected strains, followed by absorption of non-specific antibodies. Double diffusion of the typing sera and the Rantz and Randall extracts of the stains in agar gel demonstrated that 70 strains were divided into 10 serotypes (a-j) on the basis of cell-surface carbohydrate antigens. Only four strains were untypable. The yping shceme proposed depends on type antigens other than the Lancefield group antigens A, C, F. G and others, although strains belonging to the serotypes a, c and f strictly corresponded to those of the groups A, C and F respectively. Close correlation between the present serotyping scheme and the previously proposed biotyping scheme for S. milleri was demonstrated. Distribution of these strains in dental plaque obtained from young adults was also investigated. <70> UI - 1988209163 AU - Hughes CV AU - Kolenbrander PE AU - Andersen RN AU - Moore LVH IN - Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, MD 20892; United States. TI - Coaggregation properties of human oral Veillonella spp.: Relationship to colonization site and oral ecology. SO - Applied & Environmental Microbiology Vol 54(8) (pp 1957-1963), 1988. AB - The primary habitats of oral veillonellae are the tongue, dental plaque, and the buccal mucosa. Isolates were obtained from each habitat and tested for coaggregation with a battery of other oral bacterial strains. All 59 tongue isolates tested for coaggregation were Veillonella atypica or Veillonella dispar. All but one of them coaggregated with strains of Streptococcus salivarius, a predominant inhabitant of the tongue surface but not subgingival dental plaque. These tongue isolates were unable to coaggregate with most normal members of the subgingival flora such as Actinomyces vescosus, Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces israelii, and Streptococcus sanguis. In contrast, 24 of 29 Veillonella isolates, of which 20 were Veillonella parvula from subgingival dental plaque samples, coaggregated strongly with the three species of Actinomyces, S. sanguis, and other bacteria usually present in subgingival plaque, but they did not coaggregate with S. salivarius. The majority of isolates from the buccal mucosa (42 of 55) has coaggregation properties like those from the tongue. These results indicate that the three human oral Veillonella species are distributed on oral surfaces that are also occupied by their coaggregation partners and thus provide strong evidence that coaggregation plays a critical role in the bacterial ecology of the oral cavity. <71> UI - 1988168910 AU - Brook MG AU - Lucas RE AU - Pain AK IN - Department of Infectious Diseases, Hither Green Hospital, London; United Kingdom. TI - Clinical features and management of two cases of Streptococcus milleri chest infection. SO - Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases Vol 20(3) (pp 345-346), 1988. AB - We report 2 cases of Streptococcus milleri infection of the lung. One patient, a 58-year-old woman, presented with a large abscess in a previously normal lung, the other, a 53-year-old man, had a secondary infection of lung previously scarred by tuberculosis and surgery. Both patients had severe dental caries. Four weeks of therapy with high dose antibiotics and physiotherapy were required. Invasive techniques were needed to isolate the organism. <72> UI - 1988115701 AU - Richards S AU - Russell C IN - Department of Oral Medicine, Turner Dental School, Manchester M15 6FH; United Kingdom. TI - The effect of sucrose on the colonization of acrylic by Candida albicans in pure and mixed culture in an artificial mouth. SO - Journal of Applied Bacteriology Vol 62(5) (pp 421-427), 1987.