Detection of Periodontal Pathogens from Dental Plaques of Dogs with and without Periodontal Disease

Abstract

Dental plaque bacteria are one of the main factors responsible for the development of a periodontal disease, which is the most common infectious disease in dogs. The aim of this study was to identify the presence of periodontal disease-related bacteria in the dental plaque of dogs. Plaque samples were taken from dogs with and without periodontal disease. Samples were analyzed for the presence of <i>Porphyromonas gulae</i>, <i>Tannerella forsythia</i> and <i>Treponema denticola</i> using a PCR technique amplifying 16S rRNA genes of <i>P. gulae</i> and <i>T. forsythia</i> and <i>flaB2</i> genes of <i>Treponema</i> species, including <i>T. denticola</i>. The presence of <i>T. forsythia</i> was confirmed in all samples. <i>P. gulae</i> was detected in all dogs with periodontal disease and in 71.43% of dogs without periodontal disease. <i>Treponema</i> spp. were detected in 64.29% of the samples. Based on Sanger sequencing and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool algorithm, <i>Treponema</i> spp. were identified as <i>T. denticola</i> and <i>Treponema putidum</i>. <i>T. denticola</i> was present in 28.57% of dogs with periodontal disease, while <i>T. putidum</i> was present in 42.86% of dogs with periodontal disease and in 57.14% of dogs without periodontal disease. <i>T. putidum</i> was positively correlated with both <i>P. gulae</i> and <i>T. forsythia</i>, suggesting that it may be involved in the development of periodontal disease.