Presence of Porphyromonas and Prevotella species in the oral microflora of sheep with periodontitis

In many countries sheep periodontitis is considered one of the main causes responsible for premature disposal of animals in herds because the disease causes premature loosening and loss of teeth in its natural course. With its own epidemiological characteristics and multifactorial etiology, its subgingival microbiota is compatible with that found in human, bovine periodontitis and in other animal species. Among the putative periodontal pathogens there are species that produce black pigment belonging to Porphyromonas and Prevotella genera. In conjunction with other periodontal pathogens induce, in dysbiosis, an inflammatory response resulting in destruction of periodontal tissues. The aim of this study was to detect directly by polymerase chain reaction the presence of potential periodontopathogens species of Porphyromonas and Prevotella genera in the periodontal pocket of sheep periodontitis lesions (n=14) and healthy periodontal sites ( n=20). Prevalence and risk analysis were performed using Student´s T test and Spearman Correlation Test. Among the Porphyromonas and Prevotella species detected in samples of sheep periodontitis, P. melalinogenica (85.7%), P. buccae (64.3%), P. gingivalis (50%) and P. endodontalis (50%) were the most prevalent. In gingival sulcus of sheep considered periodontally healthy prevailed P. gingivalis (15%) and P. oralis (10%). Porphyromonas gulae and Prevotella tannerae were not detected in the 34 samples studied. Data evaluation by T test, enabled to verify that ocorrence of P. asaccharolytica (p=0.0006), P. endodontalis (p=0.0015), P. gingivalis (0.0274), P. buccae (0.00004), P. intermedia (0.0303), P. melalinogenica (0.00000) and P. nigrescens (0.0006) is associated with sheep periodontitis. The same results were obtained by Spearman correlation test. The identification of these species of Prevotella and Porphyromonas genera in the periodontal pocket of sheep is an original and important contribution to studies of the pathogenesis and control measures in sheep periodontitis.