Prevalence of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax among patients with periodontal disease attending Dental Clinic, University College Hospital, Ibadan.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease is often caused by bacterial plaque. However, there are indications that some infective agents, including parasites, may play important roles in the pathogenesis of the disease.

AIM: This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis, as well as the prevalence of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax , in the oral biofilm of individuals with periodontal diseases using polymerase chain reaction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and six respondents with periodontal disease participated in the study. All study participants had a full-mouth examination, and dental plaque samples were collected with a sterile curette. Samples were transported to the laboratory in a cold chain and stored frozen till analyzed. DNA was extracted from the samples and amplified using EGO and ENTAM primers for Entamoeba and TGBK primers for T. tenax .

RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 45 ± 16.3 years, with none using tobacco. The prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis obtained from this study was 84.9% and 15.1%. The prevalence obtained for Entamoeba and T. tenax was 0.9% each; however, no participant had both parasites. The positive samples were from male participants with moderate gingivitis.

CONCLUSION: Gingivitis was more prevalent than periodontitis, though with a high preponderance in females. E. gingivalis and T. tenax may not be of etiologic importance in periodontal disease as they occurred sparsely in the studied population.