This study examined ribotypes of 36 P. gingivalis strains isolated from 10 rapidly progressive periodontitis patients in Korean and revealed the presence of genetic heterogeneity among the patients. Ribotyping was performed by using a oligonucleotide probes based on 16S rRNA after whole genomic DNA had been digested with the restriction endonuclease enzyme Kpn I and Pst I. In addition, the antigenic heterogeneity of fimbrillin and protease activity was analysed to observe the virulency of P. gingivalis . The results were as follows.

Using Kpn I, 6 ribotypes were detected, whereas 7 ribotypes were identified by using Pst I. When combined two enzymes, a total of 8 ribotypes was subgrouped.

Ribotype I/e was the most common and detected in 4 among 10 patients.

The fimbrillin expressed from P. gingivalis isolates had the molecular size of 41kDa, 43kDa, 49kDa. It was observed that the size of fimbrillin with the same ribotypes could be identical.

All the P. gingivalis strains showed strong proteolytic activity and had the molecular size more than 120kDa.

In summary, total 8 ribotypes were observed for isolates from rapidly progressive periodontitis patients. Forty percent of the patients harbored isolates exhibiting the same ribotype I/e, and it was observed that more than one ribotype can coexist in an individual patient.