Association of clinical parameters with periodontal bacterial haemolytic activity

Abstract

Aims To determine whether haemolytic activity of subgingival bacteria is associated with periodontitis clinical parameters and to identify which bacteria produce the haemolysins. Materials and Methods Subgingival plaque samples from 22 untreated chronic periodontitis patients were investigated by culture and identified with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results Total aerobic and anaerobic bacterial viable counts, percentage distribution of α- and β-haemolytic bacteria were significantly elevated in diseased sites in relation to healthy sites (p < 0.001). Periodontal pathogens were more frequently detected at diseased sites: Porphyromonas gingiv..