Serotype diversity of Streptococcus mutans and caries activity in children in Argentina

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ABSTRACT

Aim

The purpose of this study was to analyse the serotype distribution of S. mutans and their association with caries activity
in school children from Crdoba, Argentina.

Methods

Clinical examination was performed in 133 children. The
dmft+DMFT and Significant Caries (SiC) indices were calculated to identify individuals with high caries activity. After DNA extractions of
S. mutans strains, serotypes were determined by PCR amplifications. The median caries activity of each serotype group was compared
using a non-parametric Kruskall-Wallis test.

Results

We obtained S. mutans strains from stimulated saliva of 94 children. The mean
dmft+DMFT was 4.14 and the mean SiC index was 8.65. Serotype c was the most frequent (53.2), followed by e (31.9),
f (8.5) and k (6.4). The comparison between the SiC and Non-Sic groups showed significant differences in the
frequency of serotypes c and k. The median caries activity was non-significant in the different serotypes.

Conclusion

The difference
between the serotype frequencies detected in Argentina compared to those of other countries could be related with contrasting dietary
habits. The results obtained in the present study would increase the knowledge about the epidemiology of dental caries in children from
Argentina.

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