Assessment of Mucormycetes in Subgingival Plaque of Periodontitis and Non-periodontitis Patients: An In Vivo Study

TL;DR

This study found no evidence of mucormycetes in subgingival plaque from periodontitis and non-periodontitis patients, suggesting it may not be a common site for these fungi in healthy individuals.

Contribution

The study is the first to investigate mucormycetes in subgingival plaque as a potential microbial reservoir in periodontitis patients.

Findings

No mucormycetes were detected in subgingival plaque samples from either periodontitis or non-periodontitis patients.

The absence of mucormycetes suggests it may not be a common niche in immunocompetent individuals.

Abstract

Background

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with dysbiotic microbial biofilms. Fungi may also play a role in exacerbating periodontal disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals, where opportunistic infections such as mucormycosis are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. While mucormycosis occasionally manifests orally, its presence in subgingival plaque, a potential microbial reservoir, remains unexplored. This study investigates whether immunocompetent individuals with periodontitis are at risk for mucormycosis.

Methods

Subgingival plaque was collected from 10 patients with Stage II or III periodontitis and 10 age-matched non-periodontitis controls (aged 18-60 years) at Amrita School of Dentistry’s Department of Periodontics. Exclusion criteria encompassed systemic diseases, recent antibiotic or antifungal use, smoking, pregnancy, and antiseptic mouthwash use within three months. Samples were obtained using sterile Gracey curettes, stored in saline-filled cryovials, and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) at 30°C for 48 hours. Fungal growth was microscopically evaluated for mucormycetes using lactophenol cotton blue staining. The proportion of positive cultures was compared between groups via Pearson’s chi-square test.

Results

None of the samples (n = 20) were identified as containing mucormycetes in either group. No statistics were computed because mucormycosis was constant.

Conclusion

This study found no evidence of mucormycetes in subgingival plaque, indicating that it may not be a common niche in immunocompetent individuals. Larger studies in immunocompromised individuals using molecular approaches are recommended to elucidate fungal roles in periodontal contexts.

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