Quantitative discrimination of <it>Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans</it> highly leukotoxic JP2 clone from non-JP2 clones in diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis

• Main Authors: Yoshida Akihiro, Ennibi Oum-Keltoum, Miyazaki Hideo, Hoshino Tomonori, Hayashida Hideaki, Nishihara Tatsuji, Awano Shuji, Ansai Toshihiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2012-10-01
• Series: BMC Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: <it>Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans</it>; Aggressive periodontitis; JP2; Non-JP2; qPCR; Quantification
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/12/253

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans</it> is the etiological agent of periodontitis, and there is a strong association between clone JP2 and aggressive periodontitis in adolescents of African descent. The JP2 clone has an approximately 530-bp deletion (∆530) in the promoter region of the <it>lkt</it>/<it>ltx</it> gene, which encodes leukotoxin, and this clone has high leukotoxic activity. Therefore, this clone is very important in aggressive periodontitis. To diagnose this disease, culture methods and conventional PCR techniques are used. However, quantitative detection based on qPCR for the JP2 clone has not been developed due to genetic difficulties. In this study, we developed a qPCR-based quantification method specific to the JP2 clone.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on our analysis of the DNA sequence of the <it>lkt</it>/<it>ltx</it> gene and its flanking region, we designed a reverse primer specific for the ∆530 deletion border sequence and developed a JP2-specific PCR-based quantification method using this primer. We also analyzed the DNA sequence of the ∆530 locus and found it to be highly conserved (97–100%) among 17 non-JP2 strains. Using the ∆530 locus, we designed a qPCR primer–probe set specific to non-JP2 clones. Next, we determined the numbers of JP2 and non-JP2 clone cells in the periodontal pockets of patients with aggressive periodontitis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The JP2-specific primers specifically amplified the genomic DNA of the <it>A</it>. <it>actinomycetemcomitans</it> JP2 clone and did not react with other bacterial DNA, whereas the non-JP2 specific primers reacted only with <it>A</it>. <it>actinomycetemcomitans</it> non-JP2 clones. Samples from the 88 periodontal sites in the 11 patients with aggressive periodontitis were analyzed. The bacterial cell numbers in 88 periodontal sites ranged from 0 to 4.8 × 10⁸ (mean 1.28 × 10⁷) for JP2 clones and from 0 to 1.6 × 10⁶ for non-JP2 clones (mean 1.84 × 10⁵). There were significant differences in the JP2 cell number between a clinical attachment level (CAL) ≤6 mm and a level ≥7 mm (<it>p</it> < 0.01). Our new qPCR-based JP2- and non-JP2-specific quantitative detection assay is applicable to the diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis with <it>A</it>. <it>actinomycetemcomitans</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We successfully developed a quantitative and discriminative PCR-based method for the detection of <it>A</it>. <it>actinomycetemcomitans</it> JP2 and non-JP2 clones. This technique will contribute to future analyses of the quantitative relationship between this organism and aggressive periodontitis.</p>