The Distribution and Frequency of Oral Veillonella spp. Associated with Chronic Periodontitis

Six species of oral Veillonella, V. atypica, V. denticariosi, V. dispar, V. parvula, V. rogosae, and V. tobetsuensis, have been suggested to facilitate succession of species in developing oral biofilms in vivo. However, the pathogenicity and distribution of oral Veillonella species in periodontal pockets have not been clarified. In this study, the distribution and frequency of oral Veillonella in periodontal pockets were examined at species level. Subgingival plaques were collected from eighteen patients who presented with chronic periodontitis. Samples were cultured under anaerobic condition after homogenization, dilution, and inoculation. Genomic DNA was extracted from each isolate for polymerase chain reaction analysis after CFUs were counted. To identify the Veillonella species present in the isolates, the speciesspecific primers for six oral Veillonella were used. V. parvula was the predominant species in the periodontal pockets. V. atypica, V. dispar, and V. tobetsuensis were the next most abundant species. This is the first report indicating the distribution and frequency of oral Veillonella spp. in the subgingival biofilm from periodontal pockets. As conclusion, V. parvula was frequently isolated from periodontal pockets as the predominant species. Therefore, V. parvula associated with the state of chronic periodontitis. K e y w o r d s