alocis in both the GAP and the CP group compared to the PR group. In addition, the organism was not detected significantly more frequently in deeper pockets (7-9 mm) than in rather shallow pockets (4-6 mm) in both GAP and CP patients. Although a connection between PPD and bacterial

load cannot be denied, these findings indicate that the influence of pocket depth does not invalidate the aforementioned results. If one compares the prevalence rate of F. alocis to those of the widely accepted periodontal pathogens P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, A. actinomycetemcomitans, T. denticola, F. nucleatum, and T. forsythia (see Figure 2b), investigated in these very samples using identical methods, Filifactor is the third most prevalent for GAP and second most prevalent for CP patients and is thus at selleck chemicals eye level with organisms that are considered key players in periodontal disease. At the same time, F. alocis shows the lowest prevalence

in the PR group of all analysed P505-15 research buy organisms. Together with F. nucleatum, F. alocis is the only organism to show a significantly higher detection frequency in both GAP and CP patients compared to the PR group. Using PCR-based identification methods may introduce bias, since structurally different organisms could exhibit different copy numbers of ribosomal genes and will generally respond differently to DNA isolation and the chosen set of broad range bacterial primers [44]. However, the relevance of F. alocis is supported by several other epidemiological studies conducted in the past years using DNA-based techniques. F. alocis was detected in GAP patients as well as in CP patients with prevalence rates varying between 45% [29] and 90% [28], depending on the methods employed. Some learn more authors propose F. alocis as a marker organism many for periodontal disease [28] and even for the shift from periodontal health to disease [19]. Our data strongly support the

findings of these studies and motivated the attempt to visualize F. alocis within the periodontal biofilm of GAP patients using FISH. The organism could be detected in high numbers in the majority of the examined carriers. The percentage of positive patients approximately matches the dot blot results. Strikingly, several areas of the biofilm show F. alocis in densely packed groups (Figure 4c) or as a part of concentric bacterial agglomerations (Figure 5d) – formations that suggest a certain degree of organisation to the observer. Moreover, the organism could be visualized in structures that are considered characteristic architectural features of periodontal biofilms. F. alocis is among the bacteria in mushroom-like protuberances on the surface of the biofilm (Figure 5b) and it contributes, grouped around what might be diffusion or convection channels, to the formation of structures reminding of test-tube brushes (Figure 5c). The close colocalization of F.