Leukotoxic activity of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and periodontal attachment loss.

ABSTRACT: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a Gram-negative periodontitis-associated bacterium that expresses a toxin that selectively affects leukocytes. This leukotoxin is encoded by an operon belonging to the core genome of this bacterial species. Variations in the expression of the leukotoxin have been reported, and a well-characterized specific clonal type (JP2) of this bacterium with enhanced leukotoxin expression has been isolated. In particular, the presence of the JP2 genotype significantly increases the risk for the progression of periodontal attachment loss (AL). Based on these findings we hypothesized that variations in the leukotoxicity are linked to disease progression in infected individuals. In the present study, the leukotoxicity of 239 clinical isolates of A. actinomycetemco

SUBMITTER: Hoglund Aberg C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4122431 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature