Bacterial enzymes and viable counts in crevices of noninflamed and inflamed gingiva

Abstract

A quantitative assay for hyaluronidase and chondroitinase in the gingival crevice is described measuring the diffusion zone in agar plates from standardized paperpoint samples. The mean hyaluronidase concentration in 24 samples from moderately inflamed sites was 8 times higher than in 24 samples from non inflamed sites. The chondroitinase activity in inflamed sites was also significantly higher. Samples from the oral mucosal surface in persons with inflamed gingiva only contained low hyaluronidase activities in 2 out 8 persons. An increasing proportion of V. (C.)sputorum, F. nucleatum, B. ochraceus, S. sputigena and Veillonella strains was seen with increasing gingival index score but these organisms did not produce any hyaluronidase. The increase of hyaluronidase concentration closely followed the increase in the number of gram‐positive organisms, suggesting that no selection of hyaluronidase producing gram‐positive organisms occurred.