Acquisition and colonization stability of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in children.

The presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis has been shown to be a risk factor for periodontitis in adults, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans has been implicated as a pathogen in early-onset periodontitis. Both species have been shown to establish stable colonization in adults. In cross-sectional studies, both A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis have been detected in over one-third of apparently healthy children. Information on the stability of colonization with these organisms in children could help to elucidate the natural history of the development of periodontitis. For this purpose, samples previously collected from a cohort of 222 children between the ages of 0 and 18 years and previously examined for the presence of P. gingivalis with a PCR-based assay were examined for the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans. It was detected in 48% of subjects and, like P. gingivalis, was found at similar frequencies among children of all ages (P = 0.53), suggesting very early initial acquisition. One hundred one of the original subjects were recalled after 1 to 3 years to determine the continuing presence of both A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis. The prevalence of both species remained unchanged at resampling. However, in most children both species appeared to colonize only transiently, with random concordance between the results of the first and second sampling. Stability of colonization was unrelated to age for A. actinomycetemcomitans, but P. gingivalis was more stable in the late teenage years.