Highly toxic clone of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in geographically widespread cases of juvenile periodontitis in adolescents of African origin. |
| |
Authors: | D Haubek K Poulsen J Westergaard G Dahln and M Kilian |
| |
Institution: | D Haubek, K Poulsen, J Westergaard, G Dahlèn, and M Kilian |
| |
Abstract: | The bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans has been implicated in the pathogenesis of juvenile periodontitis as the etiologic agent on the basis of several lines of circumstantial evidence. A matter of extensive debate is whether A. actinomycetemcomitans is an exogenous contagious pathogen or an opportunistic pathogen that resides in the normal oral microflora. Here we show evidence of a single clone of A. actinomycetemcomitans isolated from multiple patients with juvenile periodontitis in members of families of African origin living in geographically widespread areas. The clone is characterized by a 530-bp deletion in the leukotoxin gene operon, resulting in a significantly increased production of leukotoxin. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|