Award Date

12-2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

Health Sciences

First Committee Member

Patricia Cruz-Perez, Chair

Second Committee Member

Mark Buttner

Third Committee Member

Michelle Chino

Graduate Faculty Representative

Katherine Howard

Number of Pages

29

Abstract

In recent studies, periodontal health has been linked to being overweight and/or obese. Among common oral bacteria, Selenomonas noxia has been implicated in converting periodontal health to disease. Selenomonas spp. have also been found in gastric ulcers, and were misdiagnosed as Helicobacter -like organisms, but no further studies were conducted. The increasing clinical and epidemiological importance of S. noxia necessitates the development of a rapid detection method. In this study, a TaqMan 16S rRNA based real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method was developed, optimized and evaluated for the rapid and specific detection of S. noxia . The 16S PCR assay using primers and a fluorescent probe was tested against S. noxia , six organisms closely related to S. noxia , and two commonly isolated oral bacteria. The designed primers and probe were optimized, and amplified the target organism with 100% specificity. In conclusion, the 16S real-time PCR designed in this study can be used to specifically amplify S. noxia . The assay can be used for epidemiological studies in understanding the role of S. noxia in disease processes including, but not limited to, oral health and infectobesity.

Keywords

Biological sciences; Health and environmental sciences; Mouth — Microbiology; Obesity; Oral bacteria; Periodontal disease; Polymerase chain reaction – Diagnostic use; Primers; Selenomonas noxia

Disciplines

Dental Public Health and Education | Microbiology | Molecular Biology | Oral Biology and Oral Pathology

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS