PREVALENCE OF BLACK-PIGMENTED BACTERIA IN INFECTED ROOT CANALS IN KOREA

감염 근관의 흑색세균의 동정

The role of bacteria in root canals and periapical infections is well known and established. In these bacteria, black-pigmented bacteria(BPH) play important role in endodontic infection. BPB are Gram negative anaerobic rods which are closely related 50 clinical symptoms such as pain, percussion, tenderness, foul odor, etc. In America and Europe, many studies on BPB have been done and are continued. But, relatively few studies have been done in Korea, especially its prevalence in Korean population is not yet studied. The purpose of this study is to establish prevalence of BPB in infected root canals and periapical abscesses in Korean people. Microbial samples were collected from the root canals of 34 intact tooth with periapical rarefactions of endodontic origin and 3 periapical abscesses. All samples were incubated in an anaerobic chamber(Coy, Model No. 77. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.). Identification of In microorganism was based on its growth in the anaerobic chamber, colonial pigmentation, colonial morphology, Gram stain, and Rapid ID32A(BioMericux SA/69280 Marcy-l'Etoile/France) results. In addition, the polyme ase chain reaction using specific primers for 16S rRNA genes were used differentiate Prevotella nigrescens for Prevotella intermedia. The results were as follows : 1. In this study, thirteen (35%) of thirty seven samples were positive for the growth of BPB. In thirteen samples, sixteen strains of BPR were found. 2. The most frequently identified BPB in root canals and abscesses in Korean were P. nigrescens 5/37(14%) and P. intermedia 5/37(14%). Porphyromonas gingivalis 3/37(8%), Porphyromonas endodontalis 2/37(5%) and Prevotella loecheii 1/37(3%) were also found. 3. In this study, no significant differences were found between the prevalence of BPB in Korean and that of American and European.