混合唾液のマンニトール発酵能

唾液中のミュータンス連鎖球菌数との関連および齲蝕活動性試験への応用について

抄録

In this study, the fermentation ability of D-mannitol in children's mixed saliva was determined by a simple API 20 Strep® system. The relationship between the salivary fermentation ability of D-mannitol and the number of mutans streptococci in the saliva was elucidated, and the connection between salivary fermentation ability of D-mannitol and dental caries activity was also investigated. According to the increase in number of mutans streptococci in the saliva, the number and percentage of saliva samples which exhibited a positive reaction to D-mannitol significantly increased (p<0.001). When the number of mutans streptococci in the saliva samples was more than 10⁵ CFU/ml, 100% of the saliva samples exhibited a positive reaction to D-mannitol. By using bacteria cell suspensions of reference strains, the number of mutans streptococci, which was >1.5×10⁵ CFU/ml to >5.0×10⁶ CFU/ml, exhibited a positive reaction to D-mannitol. During a 6-month period after the sampling, the dental caries significantly developed in the children with saliva that exhibited a positive reaction to D-mannitol. These results show the possibility of using a salivary fermentation test with the API 20 Strep® system for a caries activity test as reflected by the number of mutans streptococci.