Abstract

FUSOBACTERIUM NUCLEATUM- AN EMINENT PERIODONTAL PATHOGEN AND ITS ROLE IN PERIODONTITIS

Malathi K., Sandhya Gnanasambandam*, Muthukumaraswamy Arunachalam, Rachana Anagol, Rohit M. and Vidhya Banu P.

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Abstract

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a gram negative, cigar shaped bacillus with pointed ends, and found in both health and disease. It comes under orange complex of periodontal pathogens. The prevalence of Fusobacterium nucleatum is high in health and disease and its levels are increased in saliva and serum in patients with periodontitis. As the levels of F. nucleatum increases so does the severity of periodontal disease with inflammation and probing depth. Detection of F. nucleatum requires a method that is highly specific and sensitive. These methods include bacterial culture - based cultivation, microscopy, DNA probe hybridization, fluorescent oligonucleotide probe hybridization and gene amplification through PCR. The present article aims and describes the co-aggregating bacteria F. nucleatum and its role in periodontitis.

Keywords: Fusobacterium- Periodontitis- Co-aggregation bacteria- Culture methods.