Mitsuokella dentalis in human periodontitis
Mitsuokella dentalis is an anaerobic nonmotile saccharolytic gram-negative rod that produces phosphatases, galactosidase, glucosidase, and acetylglucosaminidase, and in vitro is sensitive to metronidazole. Its pathological potential is unknown; the authors feel it is reasonable that its potential to be an oral pathogen might be reasonably high if found in correlation with periodontitis. By using anaerobic culture and DNA probes on samples obtained from deep periodontal pockets 18.1% and 80.7% identification was discovered, respectively.
It is felt by these authors that the DNA probes provide the more accurate results. Thus, these authors feel that M dentalis is an inhabitant of subgingival bacterium populations of several periodontal patients, but cannot conclude its relationship to periodontal breakdown. [D.R.H.]
Flynn, M.J., G. Li and J. Slots, Oral Microbiol Immunol, 9:248, 1994