Journal of Dental Research, Vol 69, 55-59, Copyright © 1990 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Comparative microbiological and immunological studies of subgingival dental plaque from man and baboons
K. T. McMahon, M. O. Wasfy, W. P. Yonushonis, G. E. Minah and W. A. Falkler Jr
Dental Research Department, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
Baboons may be useful as animal models for the study of human oral diseases
and infections. They are closely related to man anatomically,
physiologically, and phylogenetically. Plaque and gingival indices were
relatively low in 18 baboons (Papio anubis). The mean scores ranged between
0.62 +/- 0.29 and 0.37 +/- 0.20, respectively. Gram-positive and
Gram-negative cocci comprised 27.0 +/- 32.4 and 3.1 +/- 7.5% of the total
viable counts in the dental plaque samples. Black-pigmented Bacteroides
formed about 1.9 +/- 5.9% of the bacterial population in the samples.
Anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli were found in 73.2% of the samples and
averaged 19.2 +/- 26.3% of the total recovered flora. Species of the oral
Actinomyces and other Gram-positive rods found in humans were not isolated.
The composition of the oral flora in baboons appeared to be significantly
different from that of man. Isolates of F. nucleatum, L. buccalis, and B.
intermedius from the two mammals were biochemically similar, but were
distinguishable by analysis with antibody, both by precipitin lines and/or
differences between homologous and heterologous titers.
