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AIMS: This investigation aimed to isolate enteric rods from subgingival sites of patients presenting chronic periodontitis lesions, and to assess antimicrobial resistance and expression of hydrolytic enzymes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 20% patients, and assayed for antimicrobial susceptibility and hydrolytic enzymes with specificity to different substrates. Isolates comprised seven Enterobacter cloacae (43.75%), five Serratia marcescens (31.25%), one Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.25%), one Enterobacter aerogenes (6.25%), one Pantoea agglomerans (6.25%), and one Citrobacter freundii (6.25%). Gelatinase activity was observed for 75% strains; caseinase and elastase was produced by six and two strains, respectively. DNase, lecithinase and lipase were expressed by S. marcescens. Most of strains were resistant to ampicillin (93.75%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (81.25%). The majority of strains were susceptible to cephalosporins and aztreonam. Enterobacteria remained susceptible to imipenem, streptomycin and fluoroquinolones. Resistance to gentamicin, amikacin, sulfamethoxazole/thrimethoprim, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol were also observed. Eight strains presented multiple drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Subgingival sites from periodontal diseases contain multi-resistant and hydrolytic enzyme-producing enterobacteria that may contribute to overall tissue destruction and spreading. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Enterobacteria isolated from patients generally considered as healthy individuals poses periodontal diseases as reservoir for systemic infections particularly in immunocompromised and hospitalized hosts.
Gonçalves et al. (2007) studied this question.