Table 1.
PCR primers used in the present study.
Fig 1.
Adhesion and invasion properties of S. mutans strains with HDPFs.
(A) Adhesion to and (B) invasion of HDPFs isolated from a primary tooth. These rates were calculated based on the ratio of recovered infected strains with a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD from three independent experiments, with three wells analyzed for each sample. CBP-positive strains showed significant differences compared with CBP-negative strains (***P<0.001). (C) Representative confocal scanning laser microscopic images of HDPFs isolated from primary teeth. Nuclei are stained blue, F-actin is green, and bacterial cells adherent to HDPFs are red. Bars, 40 μm.
Fig 2.
Effects of S. mutans infection of HDPFs.
MTT assay results following infection of HDPFs from a (A) primary and (B) permanent tooth with S. mutans strains at an MOI of 100 for 6 h. Data are expressed as the relative ratio standardized to non-infected HDPFs and the mean ± SD, with analysis of three independent experiments. CBP-positive strains showed significant differences compared with CBP-negative strains (Student’s t-test; *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001). (C) Light microscopy images showing morphology of HDPFs from a primary tooth infected with S. mutans at an MOI of 100 for 6 h.
Fig 3.
Distribution of S. mutans in inflamed pulp specimens.
(A) Distribution of Cnm-positive and Cnm-negative S. mutans strains. (B) Detection rates of cnm-positive S. mutans isolated from inflamed pulp induced by dental caries (n = 49) and trauma (n = 12). Significant differences were found (Student’s t test; ***P<0.001).
Fig 4.
Virulence properties of S. mutans strains isolated from inflamed pulp specimens.
(A) Binding to type I collagen of S. mutans strains. Significant differences were found (Student’s t test; ***P<0.001). (B) Adhesion properties of S. mutans strains with HDPFs. aYO21-1 and YO21-2 were isolated from the same patient. (C) Representative confocal scanning laser microscopic images of HDPFs isolated from a primary tooth. Nuclei are stained blue, F-actin is green, and bacterial cells adherent to HDPFs are red. Bars, 20 μm.