Detection of Enterococcus faecalis in subgingival biofilms of healthy, gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis subjects

Abstract

Background:Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic coccus that can survive under harsh conditions. Studies have shown a positive relationship between biofilm formation and gelE gene expression in E. faecalis. The production of gelatinase (MMP 2) has been detected in 50% of E. faecalis isolates from endodontic and periodontal infections, which suggests its role in the pathogenesis of apical and marginal periodontitis. Although E. faecalis is not considered a periodontopathogen, this species has been more frequently detected in subgingival samples with periodontitis than from periodontally healthy subjects, suggesting that the local conditions in periodontitis may favor its colonization. Hence, the aim of the current study was to detect and compare the presence of E. faecalis in subgingival biofilms of healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis subjects.Materials and Methods:A total of 100 subjects aged between 25 and 55 years, from the Outpatient Department of Periodontics were recruited for the study. All the subjects were screened for gingival and periodontal status using plaque index, gingival index, and clinical attachment loss. They were divided into three groups based on the clinical findings.• Group A: 18 healthy individuals (gingival index with score zero)• Group B: 34 gingivitis patients (gingival index with score >1)• Group C: 48 chronic periodontitis patients (clinical attachment loss >5 mm in >30% of sites).Subgingival plaque samples of all the enrolled subjects were collected using a sterile curette, later poured into a transport medium (Viability Medium Goteborg Agar III) and sent for microbial culturing within 2 h for detection of E. faecalis.Results:E. faecalis was detected in 26.8% of all samples evaluated. There was a significantly higher frequency of E. faecalis in subgingival biofilms of periodontitis group (41.7%), compared to gingivitis (5.9%) and healthy group (0%).Conclusion:Enterococci may contribute to increased collagen and periodontal destruction and may further lead to disease progression in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence of Enterococcus spp. isolated from periodontitis‐associated subgingival biofilm

“…4,22,[24][25][26]33 In contrast, oral enterococci have commonly been detected in lower prevalence when microbial cultivation is used. 4,11,27,39 In accordance with our data, Rams et al 39 were able to isolate around 6% of enterococci strains from subgingival plaque of patients with periodontitis, whereas other investigators reported detection rates around 7% in oral rinses from patients with oral diseases. 11,40 Higher frequencies, however, were found in the subgingival biofilm of an Indian population (26.8%), 27 as well as in oral rinses from a healthy Brazilian cohort (16.6%), 15 and saliva (21.8%) from healthy North Americans.…”

“…Hence, variation in enterococci detection rates may occur as a result of various factors other than detection techniques. Regardless of the methodology used, our findings agree with the majority of the investigations, [24][25][26][27]31 showing higher isolation/detection rates of oral enterococci, mainly E. faecalis, in individuals with periodontal diseases (gingivitis, 7.8% and periodontitis, 9.8%) than PH (2.2%) (Fig. 3).…”

Enterococcus faecalis: patogeno de relevancia clinica en tratamiento endodonticos fallidos

“…puede estar relacionada con infecciones periodontales aunque no es una bacteria de gran relevancia en estos cuadros (27) , por sus características puede colonizar la región aunque la presencia del factor Gel E (gelatina extracelular) una enzima encargada de hidrolizar y degradar colágeno, hemoglobina y fibrinógeno, puede generar una destrucción del periodonto, produciendo una mayor severidad de la periodontitis (28) .…”

Comparative evaluation of the concentration-dependent effect of proton-pump inhibitor in association with calcium hydroxide and chlorhexidine on Enterococcus faecalis

“…[ 2 ] It can get incorporated into the oral cavity by food contaminants and also by nosocomial infections. E. faecalis has also been related to various oral diseases, such as caries, endodontic infections, chronic periodontitis (41.7%)[ 3 ] and peri-implantitis. It is a persistent organism that plays a major role in the etiology of secondary periradicular lesions after the root canal treatment.…”