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Live Helicobacter pylori in the root canal of endodontic-infected deciduous teeth

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Abstract

Background

Many polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori DNA is prevalent in the oral cavity, but reports on the isolation of live bacteria are extremely rare. Thus, it is still unclear whether H. pylori can indeed survive in the oral environment.

Methods

Here we used electron microscopy, selective growth techniques, urease assays, 16S rRNA PCR, and western blotting to investigate the possible presence of live H. pylori in 10 root canal and corresponding plaque samples of endodontic-infected deciduous teeth in three children.

Results

Although H. pylori DNA was verifiable by PCR in several plaque and root canal samples, bacterial colonies could only be grown from two root canals, but not from plaque. These colonies were unequivocally identified as H. pylori by microscopic, genetic, and biochemical approaches.

Conclusions

Our findings show that root canals of endodontic-infected teeth may be a reservoir for live H. pylori that could serve as a potential source for transmission.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Francisco Rivas Traverso for technical support. The work of S.B. is supported through grants by the German Science Foundation (Ba1671/8-1) and Science Foundation Ireland (UCD 09/IN.1/B2609).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatric Dentistry, University School of Dental Medicine, University of Leipzig, Nuernberger Straße 57, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Christian Hirsch

  2. UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences, University College Dublin, Science Center West L231, Belfield Campus, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Nicole Tegtmeyer & Steffen Backert

  3. Department of Medical Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany

    Manfred Rohde

  4. School for Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin, Ireland

    Marion Rowland

  5. Institute for Environmental Health, Inc., 15300 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, Seattle, WA, 98155, USA

    Omar A. Oyarzabal

Authors
  1. Christian Hirsch
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  2. Nicole Tegtmeyer
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  3. Manfred Rohde
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  4. Marion Rowland
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  5. Omar A. Oyarzabal
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  6. Steffen Backert
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Christian Hirsch or Steffen Backert.

Additional information

C. Hirsch and N. Tegtmeyer contributed equally to this work.

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Hirsch, C., Tegtmeyer, N., Rohde, M. et al. Live Helicobacter pylori in the root canal of endodontic-infected deciduous teeth. J Gastroenterol 47, 936–940 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-012-0618-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-012-0618-8

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