Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by dramatic changes in the vaginal ecosystem. Women without evidence of vaginal infection may exhibit transient changes in their flora. We prospectively followed up women by using diaries and self-obtained vaginal smears to correlate behaviors with changes in flora. The majority of women (38/51, 78%) had significant, although transient, changes. Behavio...

Dental plaque samples from (i) subjects with no apparent oral disease, (ii) mentally retarded subjects with periodontal disease, and (iii) subjects with active caries were collected in three transport media viz. a dithiothreitol poised balanced mineral salt solution designated as reduced transport fluid (RTF), VMG II, and modified Stuart medium (SBL). The samples were dispersed by sonic treatme...

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a bacterial pathogen that is associated with several life-threatening diseases for humans. The combination of protein E-mediated cell lysis to produce EHEC ghosts and staphylococcal nuclease A to degrade DNA was used for the development of an oral EHEC vaccine. The lack of genetic material in the oral EHEC bacterial-ghost vaccine abolished any hazard...

Dental plaques are the biofilms or the microbial population associated with the oral cavity and is responsible for several clinical conditions that affect the host system. Despite the fact that, the oral micro flora offer certain benefit to the host by offering protection to the epithelial cell from damage and enhances the digestion of some substrates, their harmful consequences cannot be denie...

More than 700 bacterial species or phylotypes, of which over 50% have not been cultivated, have been detected in the oral cavity. Our purposes were (i) to utilize culture-independent molecular techniques to extend our knowledge on the breadth of bacterial diversity in the healthy human oral cavity, including not-yet-cultivated bacteria species, and (ii) to determine the site and subject specifi...

Eighteen snakes representing 11 species were subject to mouth swabbing on 58 occasions. Of these swabs, 52.2% were positive for bacteria. A total of 92 bacterial isolates were cultured, representing 30 species of which 81.5% were Enterobacteriaceae, 16.3% gram positive cocci, and 2.2% anaerobes. Swabs from non-venomous snakes were more commonly bacteriologically sterile than those from venomous...

Halitosis is known as unpleasant oral odor affecting large proportion of population and may be the cause of a significant social and psychological handicap. People who are not aware of their bad breath may encounter romantic, social and professional rejection without knowing the reason. 85% cases of halitosis originate from microbial putrefaction within the oral cavity itself. Modern analytical...

The most common form of oral candidiasis, denture-associated stomatitis, involves biofilm growth on an oral prosthetic surface. Cells in this unique environment are equipped to withstand host defenses and survive antifungal therapy. Studies of the biofilm process on dentures have primarily been limited to in vitro models. We developed a rodent acrylic denture model and characterized the Candida...