Table 1.

Distribution of LDLR^null mice gingival plaque samples positive for bacterial genomic DNA by PCR.

Bacterial infection	Positive gingival plaque samples
Number of weeks of infections	1 weeka	7 weeksa	16 weeksb	19 weeksb
Infected micec (n = 12)
Fusobacterium nucleatum	1	9	NI	NI
Porphyromonas gingivalis	NI	NI	5	7
Treponema denticola	NI	NI	3	5
Tannerella forsythia	NI	NI	0	0
Sham-infected miced (n = 12)	0	0	0	0

^aIndicate time points at which the LDLR^null mice were infected only with F. nucleatum (intermediate colonizer).

^bIndicate time points at which the LDLR^null mice were infected only with a polybacterial inoculum of P. gingivalis, T. denticola and T. forsythia (late colonizers).

^cIndicate LDLR^null mice were sequentially infected for 24 weeks with F. nucleatum for the first 12 weeks, followed by a polybacterial infection of P. gingivalis, T. denticola and T. forsythia. Samples were analyzed using appropriate bacterial species-specific PCR primers with positive and negative controls.

^dOral plaque samples were collected from sham-infected mice periodically and were examined for the presence of bacterial genomic DNA of F. nucleatum, P. gingivalis, T. denticola and T. forsythia. NI, no infection with bacteria.