| 摘要 |
A colorimetric assay system for diagnosing periodontal disease utilizes a chromogenic test substance for measuring proteolytic activity in a specimen such as subgingival plaque which may contain suspected periodontopathogenic bacteria. The chromogenic test substance comprises a peptide substrate which is hydrolyzable by proteolytic enzymes in the plaque specimen to release a chromophore. Detection of a color change in the test substance indicates whether such proteolytic activity is present. In a specific illustrative embodiment, the chromogenic test substance comprises N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-naphthylamide (BANA) or benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA). In the case of BANA, for example, the chromophore, beta -naphthylamide, is detected by the addition of a color developer, such as fast garnet. The development of a red-orange color is interpreted to indicate the presence of periodontal disease associated with anaerobic periodontopathogens, such as B. gingivalis, T. denticola, and B. forsythus, and the development of a yellow color is interpreted to indicate the absence of periodontal disease. The assay method can be carried out with a device having a first region containing on a support carrier a chromogenic test substance hydrolyzable by proteolytic enzymes of periodontopathogenic organisms to release a chromophore and a second region containing on a support carrier a color developer. The first and second regions are arranged so that they can be brought into superposition. The chromophore is released if the periodontopathogenic organisms exceed about 5x105 colony units. |
