Distribution and Isolation Frequency of Eight Streptococcal Species in Saliva from Predentate and Dentate Children and Adults

Abstract

The isolation frequency and distribution of eight recently defined streptococcal species have been investigated in the saliva of adults and that of both predentate and dentate children. The effects of frequency of sugar intake and tooth presence on the distribution of streptococcal species were also analyzed. Saliva samples were collected from 121 subjects divided into three study groups: (a) 56 predentate children (predentate group), (b) 37 dentate children (dentate group), and (c) 28 adults (adult group). Up to 17 biochemical and enzymatic tests were used to categorize streptococcal isolates into S. mitis, S. oralis, S. salivarius, S. anginosus, S. sanguis, S. vestibularis, S. mutans, and S. gordonii.

The mean total and streptococcal salivary colony-forming units (CFU) were lowest in the predentate group and highest in the adult group. Streptococci were found in all the study subjects, and there was no obvious relationship between the total or streptococcal CFU and the number of teeth or the frequency of sugar intake. There was a wide variation in the isolation frequency of streptococcal species in the three study groups. S. mitis, S. oralis, and S. salivarius were the most frequent species isolated, and together they comprised 83% of the total streptococcal isolates. In contrast to studies using older classifications, S. sanguis was a minor species in the saliva though found more often in adults than in children (p < 0.04). S. anginosus was a minor species found in about 10% of adults and children. S. gordonii was detected rarely and only in dentate subjects. S. mutans was detected only in dentate subjects, significantly greater in adults (57.1%) than in children (5.4%, p < 0.001). In contrast, S. vestibularis was found in both dentate and predentate children but not in adults. No relationship between the isolation frequency of any of the species and sugar intake in children was demonstrated. The new classification of streptococci has revealed major differences in isolation frequency and distribution of the individual species and should prove useful in future studies of ecological factors affecting oral flora.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alaluusua S. , Gronroos L. , Kleemola-Kujala E. (1989). Streptococcus mutans, not detected?. Oral Microbiol Immunol 4:176-177.

Beighton D. , Hardie JM , Whiley RA (1991). A scheme for the identification of viridans streptococci . J Med Microbiol 35:367-372.

Beighton D. , Rippon HR (1987). The distribution of Streptococcus mutans serotypes and dental caries in a group of 5 to 8 year-old Hampshire schoolchildren. Br Dent J 162:103-106.

Bransby ER , Daubney CG , King J. ( 1948). Comparison of results

obtained by different methods of individual dietary survey. Br Nutr 2:89.

Bridge PD , Sneath PH (1983). Numerical taxonomy of streptococcus. J Gen Microbiol 129:565-597.

Caldwell J. , Challacombe SJ , Lehner T. (1977). A sequential bacteriological and serological investigation of Rhesus monkeys immunised against dental caries with Streptococcus mutans . J Med Microbiol 10:213-224.

Carlsson J. (1967). Dental plaque as a source of salivary streptococci . Odontol Revy 18:173-178.

Carlsson J. (1968). A numerical taxonomic study of human oral streptococci . Odontol Revy 19:137-160.

10.

Carlsson J. , Grahnen H. , Jonsson G. (1975). Lactobacilli and streptococci in the mouth of children. Caries Res 9:333-339.

11.

Carlsson J. , Grahnen H. , Jonsson G. , Wikner S. (1970a). Early establishment of Streptococcus salivarius in the mouths of infants. J Dent Res 49:415-418.

12.

Carlsson J. , Grahnen H. , Jonsson G. , Wikner S. (1970b). Establishment of Streptococcus sanguis in the mouths of infants. Arch Oral Biol 15:1143-1148.

13.

Colman G. (1968). The application of computers to the classification of streptococci. J Gen Microbiol 50:149-158.

14.

Colman G. , Williams Reo (1972). Taxonomy of some human viridans streptococci. In: Wannamaker LW , Matsen JM , editors. Streptococci and streptococcal diseases. New York: Academic Press Inc., 282-299.

15.

Cornick DE , Bowen WH (1972). The effect of sorbitol on the microbiology of the dental plaque in monkeys (Macaca irus). Arch Oral Biol 17:1637-1648.

16.

Coykendall AL (1983). Streptococcus sobrinus nom. rev. and Streptococcus ferus nom. rev.: habitat of these and other mutans streptococci. Int J System Bacteriol 33:883-885. Coykendall AL , Wesbecher PM , Gustafson KB (1987). "Streptococcus milleri", Streptococcus constellatus, and Streptococcus intermedius are later synonyms of Streptococcus anginosus. Int J System Bacteriol 37:222-228.

17.

De Stoppelaar JD , van Houte J. , Backer-Dirks 0 (1970). The effect of carbohydrate restriction on the presence of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis and iodophilic polysaccharide-producing bacteria in human dental plaque. Caries Res 4:114-123. De Stoppelaar J. , van Houte J. , Moor CE (1967). The presence of dextran-forming bacteria, resembling Streptococcus bovis and Streptococcus sanguis, in human dental plaque. Arch Oral Biol 12:1199-1202.

18.

Facklam RR (1977). Physiological differentiation of viridans streptococci . J Clin Microbiol 5:184-201.

19.

Frandsen Evg , Pedrazzoli V. , Kilian M. (1991). Ecology of viridans streptococci in the oral cavity and pharynx. Oral Microbiol Immunol 6:129-133.

20.

Gibbons RJ , Kapsimalis B. , Socransky SS (1964). The source of salivary bacteria. Arch Oral Biol 9:101-103.

21.

Guggenheim B. (1968). Streptococci of dental plaques. Caries Res 2:147-163.

22.

Hardie JM , Bowden GH (1976). Physiological classification of oral viridans streptococci. J Dent Res 55:A166-A176.

23.

Hardie JM , Whiley RA , Sakin MJ (1982). A numerical taxonomic study of oral streptococci . In: Holm SE , Christensen P , editors. Basic concepts of streptococci and streptococcal diseases. Surrey (England): Reedbooks Ltd., 59-60.

24.

Kilian M. , Mikkelsen L. , Henrichsen J. (1989). Taxonomic study of viridans streptococci: description of Streptococcus gordonii sp.

25.

nov. and emended descriptions of Streptococcus sanguis (White and Niven 1946), Streptococcus oralis (Bridge and Sneath 1982), and Streptococcus mitis (Andrews and Horder 1906). Int J System Bacteriol 39:471-484.

26.

Kilpper-Balz R. , Wenzig P. , Schleifer KH (1985). Molecular relationships and classification of some viridans streptococci as Streptococcus oralis and emended description of Streptococcus oralis (Bridge and Sneath 1982). Int J System Bacteriol 35:482-488. Krasse B. (1954). The proportional distribution of Streptococcus salivarius and other streptococci in various parts of the mouth. Odontol Revy 5:203-211.

27.

Matee MI , Mikx FH , Frencken JE , Truin GJ , Ruiken HM (1985). Selection of a micromethod and its use in the estimation of salivary Streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus counts in relation to dental caries in Tanzanian children. Caries Res 19 :497-506.

28.

McCarthy C. , Snyder ML , Parker RB (1965). The indigenous oral flora of Man-I. The newborn to the 1 year old infants. Arch Oral Biol 10:61-70.

29.

Newbrun E. (1980). Cariogenic food prediction (letter). J Am Dent Assoc 101:893.

30.

Schmidhuber S. , Kilpper-Balz R. , Schleifer KH (1987). A taxonomic study of Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus sanguis. System Appl Microbiol 10:74-77.

31.

Sherman JM , Niven CF , Smiley KL (1943). Streptococcus salivarius and other non-haemolytic streptococci of the human throat. J Bacteriol 45:249-263.

32.

Skerman Vbd , McGowan V. , Sneath Pha (1980). Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J System Bacteriol 30:225-420.

33.

Theilade E. , Theilade J. , Mikkelsen L. (1982). Microbiological studies on early dento-gingival plaque on teeth and Mylar strips in humans. J Periodont Res 17:12-25.

34.

Togelius J. , Kristoffersson K. , Anderson H. , Bratthall D. (1984). Streptococcus mutans in saliva: intraindividual variations and relation to the number of colonized sites. Acta Odontol Scand 42 :157-163.

35.

Van Houte J. , Gibbons RJ , Banghart SB (1970). Adherence as a determinant of the presence of Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus sanguis on the human tooth surface . Arch Oral Biol 15:1025-1034.

36.

Van Palenstein Helderman WH , Ijsseldijk M. , Huis in't Veld Jhj (1983). A selective medium for the two major subgroups of the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, isolated from human dental plaque and saliva. Arch Oral Biol 28:599-603.

37.

Welborn PP , Hadley WK , Newbrun E. , Yajko DM (1983). Characterization of strains of viridans streptococci by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization and physiological tests. Int J System Bacteriol 33:293-299.

38.

Whiley RA , Beighton D. (1991). Emended descriptions and recognition of Streptococcus constellatus, Streptococcus intermedius, and Streptococcus anginosus as distinct species. Int J System Bacteriol 41:1-5.

39.

Whiley RA , Fraser HY , Douglas CW , Hardie JM , Williams AM , Collins MD (1990). Streptococcus parasanguis sp. nov., an atypical viridans streptococcus from human clinical specimens. FEMS Microbiol Lett 56:115-121.

40.

Whiley RA , Hardie JM (1988). Streptococcus vestibularis sp. nov. from the human oral cavity. Int J System Bacteriol 38:335-339. Young CM , Hgan GC , Tucker RE (1952). A comparison of dietary study methods. II. Dietary history vs. seven-day record vs. 24-hour recall. J Am Dent Assoc 28:218-221.