1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Diagnosis of streptococcal infection by PCR amplification
| Project/Area Number |
06671815
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Morphological basic dentistry
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokushima |
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Principal Investigator |
ONO Tsuneko The University of Tokushima, Dentistry, Assistant Professor, 歯学部, 講師 (40035514)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NEMOTO Ken The University of Tokushima, Dentistry, Research Associate, 歯学部, 助手 (10218274)
HIROTA Katsuhiko The University of Tokushima, Dentistry, Research Associate, 歯学部, 助手 (60199130)
MIYAKE Yoichiro The University of Tokushima, Dentistry, Professor, 歯学部, 教授 (80136093)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1994 – 1995
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| Keywords | oral streptococci / PCR diagnosis / spaP / S.mutans / bacteremia |
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| Research Abstract |
We have researched the mechanism of pathogenicity of oral streptococci which caused infectious endocarditis, bacteremia and pneumonia and have developed rapid diagnosis methods of oral streptococcus infection. Streptococcus mutans, a member of viridans streptococci, is recognized as a part of the normal oral flora of man, and is an etiological agent in smooth-surface dental caries. We have tried to detect S.mutans in blood and other clinical specimens at first.
Synthetic oligonucleotide primers were used in the polymerase chain reaction to amplify a sequence of the spaP gene, which encodes the surface protein antigen I/II of Streptococcus mutans. A DNA fragment was amplified from lysed S.mutans cells or isolated DNA.With S.mutans cells, the lower limit of detection was 4-40 cfu. With these primers, 13 reference and 50 clinical strains of S.mutans were identified. Amplification of the 200-bp product was not demonstrated when 41 strains of other streptococcal and non-streptococcal species were tested. The spaP gene PCR has potential for the rapid diagnosis of S.mutans infections.
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