Streptococcal Hyaluronidase and Dentin Caries

¹ Department of Oral Pathology, Loyola University School of Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois

Eighty freshly extracted human teeth with active dentin caries were used for isolation and identification of streptococci. The carious material was first cultured in thioglycolate medium. The isolated streptococci were then transferred to blood-agar [see table in the PDF file] plates, Todd-Hewitt medium, Chapman's mitis salivarius medium, 6.5 per cent NaCl broth, Trypticase soya agar medium containing inulin strip for further classification. Streptococcal HASE activity was determined qualitatively by growing the organisms in serum glucose beef heart infusion broth medium.

All the isolated streptococci were found to be acidogenic, aciduric, and microaerophilic in nature. The pH of 7-7.4 of the medium is critical in the production of HASE activity by streptococci.

The enzyme HASE was produced by alpha, gamma, and beta streptococci isolated from such advanced carious lesions.

These findings thus tend to support the hypothesis that streptococci are closely associated with advanced carious lesions in dentin and that streptococcal HASE, one of the enzymes produced by varieties of streptococci, may play an important role in production of caries in dentin.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Kayaoglu and D. Orstavik VIRULENCE FACTORS OF ENTEROCOCCUS FAECALIS: RELATIONSHIP TO ENDODONTIC DISEASE Crit. Rev. Oral. Biol. Med., September 1, 2004; 15(5): 308 - 320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]