Journal of International Dental and Medical Research ISSN 1309-100X Severity of Periodontitis http://www.jidmr.com Maximilianus Felix Cipta, and et al Volume ∙ 12 ∙ Number ∙ 1 ∙ 2019 Page 170 Association Between the Amount of Treponema Lecithinolyticum in Subgingival Dental Plaque and the Severity of Periodontitis Maximilianus Felix Cipta 1 , Hari Sunarto 2 , Boy Muchlis Bachtiar 3 , Yuniarti Soeroso 2 * 1. Periodontics Department Residency Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia 2. Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia 3. Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Abstract The pathogenesis of periodontitis involves certain bacteria in the bacterial plaque, including Treponema lecithinolyticum (Tl). The aim of this study was to evaluate the load of T1 in pocket periodontal disease and determine how it correlates with the severity of periodontitis. We examined five subjects with pocket depths (PD) of 4 to 5 mm (group 1 (G1)) and ≥6 mm (group 2 (G2)) and subjects without periodontal disease (group 3 (G3), control). We collected 20 microbial samples (gingival crevicular fluids) from the deepest pockets (≥4 mm) by using a paper point. The bacterium load between the two groups was compared using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Statistical analysis was performed by using Mann-Whitney tests, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s correlation. The qPCR results showed that the amount of Tl was higher in subjects with periodontitis than in healthy controls, but the difference was not statistically significant (p ≥ 0.05). The Kruskal -Wallis test results of G1, G2, and G3 revealed that no significant differences existed. The amount of bacteria exhibited a moderately strong and positive correlation with PD and the Papilla Bleeding Index (PBI). However, a weak correlation was found when recession and loss of attachment were analyzed. In subjects with periodontal disease, PD and PBI were associated with the amount of Tl. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2019; 12(1): 170-174) Keywords: Treponema, Gingival Diseases, Gingival Crevicular Fluid, Periodontal Pocket. Received date: 15 August 2018 Accept date: 20 September 2018 Introduction Periodontal disease is one of the two most common dental and oral diseases. 1 The prevalence of periodontitis among an Indonesian cohort aged 22 to 55 years was 83.6% (1.730 patients from 2.069). 2 Bacteria are the main causes of periodontal disease 2,3, and bacterial complexes are typically found in the subgingival space. Red complex bacteria are the most commonly associated bacterial species with periodontal disease, particularly in patients with chronic periodontitis. However, Treponema lecithinolyticum (Tl) is also a periodontal pathogen that is associated with all stages of periodontal disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). 4 Tl is an anaerobic gram-negative bacterium 5–7 that is frequently detected in subgingival plaque. 7 The cell size is 5.00 µm × 0.15 µm, and the organism contains two endoflagella and forms a white diffused subsurface colony with a diameter of approximately 3 mm seven days after incubation at 37 °C. 6 Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the T1 load in periodontal pockets and determined how it correlates with the severity of periodontitis. Materials and methods This study received ethical approval from The Ethical Committee of Dental Research (KEPKG) of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Indonesia (protocol number 090220218) and was conducted in the Dental Teaching Hospital and Laboratory of Oral Biology of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Indonesia (RSKGM FKG UI). The clinical samples were collected from 20 of the deepest pockets of five patients (each patient had samples drawn from the four deepest pockets). *Corresponding author: Yuniarti Soeroso Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Airlangga, Jakarta, Indonesia. E-mail: yuniarti_22@yahoo.co.id