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Published on: October 20, 2011
Clustering behavior in microbial communities from acute endodontic infections
Francisco Montagner1, Rogério C Jacinto, Fernanda G C Signoretti
1Endodontics Division, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Journal of Endodontics
|January 17, 2012
Summary
Acute endodontic infections show diverse anaerobic bacteria in root canals and abscesses. Microbial communities in these paired samples exhibited low clustering, indicating varied bacterial compositions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Endodontics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Acute endodontic infections involve complex microbial communities in root canal (RC) systems and apical tissues.
- Limited data exists comparing microbial structures in related endodontic infection sites like RC and acute apical abscess (AAA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of specific endodontic pathogens in paired RC and AAA samples.
- To analyze microbial community structure and diversity using clustering profiles.
Main Methods:
- Paired RC and AAA exudate samples from 20 subjects were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Selected strict and facultative anaerobic strains were identified, and their frequencies compared between RC and AAA.
- Hierarchical clustering and dendrogram construction were used to group samples based on microbial presence.
Main Results:
- Bacterial DNA was detected in all analyzed samples.
- Frequently detected pathogens included Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella nigrescens, Filifactor alocis, and Tannerela forsythia in both RC and AAA.
- Anaerobic species formed diverse, small bacterial consortia, and samples with targeted microorganisms clustered together.
Conclusions:
- Anaerobic bacteria are prevalent in acute endodontic infections.
- Heterogeneous microbial communities with low clustering behavior were observed in paired RC and AAA samples, highlighting site-specific microbial variations.
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