Relationship between methanogenic archaea and subgingival microbial complexes in human periodontitis

H.P. Horz, N. Robertz, M.E. Vianna, K. Henne, G. Conrads

Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057 Aachen, Germany.

Abstract

We compared the amounts of methanogenic archaea with ten of the most important periodontal pathogens in 125 clinical samples. Correlation analysis suggests that the support of the periodontitis-associated bacterial consortium by methanogenic archaea may be driven through direct or indirect interactions with Prevotella intermedia.

Keywords: Periodontal disease; Archaea; Methanobrevibacter oralis; Tannerella forsythia; Prevotella intermedia; Porphyromonas gingivalis.