Bacterial Adherence to Human Buccal Epitheliald Cells and Its Possible Role in Bacterial Colonization in Human Oral Cavity

ABSTRACT

The ability of several species of streptococcus and staphylococcus to adhere to human buccal epithelial cells was studied in vitro by using bacteria and epithelial cells isolated from human buccal cavity. Viridans streptococci were found adhering in highest numbers(65 +/- 8 bacteria per epithelial cell) to epithelial cells. Streptococcus pyogenes adhered in great numbers (44 +/- 4), whereas Streptococcus pneumoniae (26 +/- 2), Staphylococcus aureus (21 +/- 2), Staphylococcus epidermidis (14 +/- 2) adhered poorly. These data showed that bacteria differed in their ability to adhere to human buccal epithelial cells. This difference in adhesive ability between bacterial species may correlate with the ability of the bacteria to colonize oral surface of human.