Infect Chemother.  2018 Dec;50(4):340-345. 10.3947/ic.2018.50.4.340.

Virulence Genes, Antibiotic Resistance and Capsule Locus Polymorphisms in Enterococcus faecalis isolated from Canals of Root-Filled Teeth with Periapical Lesions

• Saffari F
• Sobhanipoor MH
• Shahravan
• Ahmadrajabi R

• KMID: 2429937
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2018.50.4.340

Abstract

Frequent isolation of Enterococcus faecalis from root canal treated teeth with apical periodontitis, has proposed the role of this organism in endodontic treatment failures. Different factors have been suggested in the pathogenicity of this organism. In this study, 22 E. faecalis isolates from canals of root-filled teeth were identified, and phenotypic and genotypic characteristics were investigated. No resistance to vancomycin and gentamicin was noted, and most isolates (91%) were susceptible to ampicillin. Biofilm formation was detected in 73% of the isolates and may be considered as the most important virulence factor involved in the pathogenesis of these isolates.

Keyword

Enterococcus faecalis; Apical periodontitis; Virulence factors; Antibiotic resistance; Biofilm

MeSH Terms

Ampicillin
Biofilms
Dental Pulp Cavity
Drug Resistance, Microbial*
Enterococcus faecalis*
Enterococcus*
Gentamicins
Periapical Periodontitis
Tooth*
Treatment Failure
Vancomycin
Virulence Factors
Virulence*
Ampicillin
Gentamicins
Vancomycin
Virulence Factors

Figure

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  Figure 1 Agarose gel electrophoresis PCR products of cps1, chp, ebp, ace, cps2, cyl, esp, and gelE genes (cps1: ~950 bp, chp: ~580 bp, ebp: ~101 bp, ace: ~616 bp, cps2: ~1096 bp, cyl: ~688 bp, esp: ~510 bp and gelE: ~213 bp). The products were electrophoresed on 1.5% w/v agarose gel. PCR, polymerase chain reaction; M, 100–3,000 bp molecular size marker.

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