Virulence factors of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans: other putative factors

Abstract

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is implicated as the causative agent of localized juvenile periodontitis. This organism possesses a large number of virulence factors with a wide range of activities and also interfere with tissue repair. Fifty isolates of A. actinomycetemcomitans from 20 periodontal patients were examined to evaluate other putative virulence factors. In this study, the capsule, DNase, coagulase, fibrinolysin, proteolytic, haemolysin and bacteriocin production, haemagglutination, serum sensitivity, epithelial cells attachment, hydrophobicity and virulence of the A. actinomycetemcomitans isolates were evaluated. All the isolates were resistant to the different tested sera. 70% to 94% were alpha-haemolytics and agglutinated all blood types. Most of isolates produced antagonistic substances and they had a low hydrophobicity. None of the isolates was pathogenic for mice. Little is known as to wether these factors may act in the development of periodontal disease, and further studies are required for an application in pathogenic and systematic terms.