Oral lesions may be found in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), in a percentage up to 20%. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible relationship between Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and oral lesions in CD patients. 23 oral biopsies were examined performing IS900 Nested PCR; 9 of them were positive: 8 from CD patients and 1 from a control. Our purpose is to go on with this study, amplifying the number of subjects examined and testing subjects with oral lesions related to diseases other than CD to verify the specific association between MAP and oral lesions in CD patients

Bua, Alessandra

Cannas, Sara

Lugliè, Pietrina Francesca

Lumbau, Aurea Maria Immacolata

Molicotti, Paola

Scanu, Antonio Mario

Zanetti, Stefania Anna Lucia

UnissResearch

Molicotti et al. Gut Pathogens 2013, 5:18
http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/5/1/18LETTER TO THE EDITOR Open AccessMolecular identification of Mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuberculosis in oral biopsies of
Crohn’s disease patients
Paola Molicotti1*†, Antonio M Scanu2†, Aurea Lumbau3, Sara Cannas1, Alessandra Bua1, Pietrina Lugliè3
and Stefania Zanetti1Abstract
Oral lesions may be found in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), in a percentage up to 20%. The aim of this study
was to investigate a possible relationship between Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and oral
lesions in CD patients. 23 oral biopsies were examined performing IS900 Nested PCR; 9 of them were positive: 8
from CD patients and 1 from a control. Our purpose is to go on with this study, amplifying the number of subjects
examined and testing subjects with oral lesions related to diseases other than CD to verify the specific association
between MAP and oral lesions in CD patients.
Keywords: MAP, Oral lesion Crohn, Oral granulomatous lesions, PCR IS900Background
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic-recurring inflammatory
bowel disease that may affect every part of the gastrointes-
tinal tract. Oral lesions may be found in patients with
full-blown intestinal CD or may represent the onset. It has
been discussed about which lesions may be considered
pathognomonic of CD or secondary nonspecific lesions: a
histopathologic confirmation of the diagnosis is required
(Figures 1 and 2). Several authors have hypothesized an
involvement of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratu-
berculosis (MAP) in CD in genetically predisposed sub-
jects [1,2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
presence of MAP in oral lesions of CD patients.
Methods
23 Italian subjects were examined; a first group was
composed of 12 CD patients, while a second one was
made up of 11 healthy subjects. Subjects of both groups* Correspondence: molicott@uniss.it
†Equal contributors
1Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche – Microbiologia Sperimentale e Clinica,
Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
© 2013 Molicotti et al.; licensee BioMed Centr
Commons Attribution License (http://creativec
reproduction in any medium, provided the orpresented “aphthous type” oral lesions. Specimens
were collected in physiological solution and sent to the
Laboratory of Mycobacteriology of University of Sassari.
The specimens were inoculated in liquid medium MGIT
(Becton Dickinson), added with Mycobactin J at the con-
centration of 1μg/ml and in solid medium Herrold’s
(Becton Dickinson). After DNA extraction following
standard protocols, Nested PCR IS900 was carried out
(Table 1) [3]. Nested PCR was always performed with in-
ternal controls in order to avoid false positive results.
Moreover, all the surfaces and the instruments used to
perform PCR were cleaned every time, before and after
their use with DNA Cleaner (DIATECH) to avoid cross-
contamination. Nested PCR on biopsy samples was
performed three times, and every time the results were
the same. Statistical analysis was performed with Fisher’s
exact test (Graph-pad Scientific calculator, p<0.05 was
considered significant).al Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
ommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
iginal work is properly cited.
Figure 1 Exulcerative lesions in ileal Crohn initially active with wall thickness, oedema with the bottom of afta covered with fibrin of
the exulceration. Istologic findings pathognomonic for CD.
Figure 2 Small aphthous exulcerative lesions in CD patients with wall thickness, oedema and fibrina deposit in the base of ulcer.
Istologic findings of CD.
Molicotti et al. Gut Pathogens 2013, 5:18 Page 2 of 4
http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/5/1/18
Table 1 Results of Nested PCR IS900
Patients IS900 Positive IS900 Negative
Women Men Women Men
CD 2 6 3 1
Control 0 1 4 6
Molicotti et al. Gut Pathogens 2013, 5:18 Page 3 of 4
http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/5/1/18Results and discussion
The 12 patients affected by CD, 5 women and 7 men, aged
16–35 presented a full-blown ileal disease. 50% of patients
(6/12) presented only an ileal location, 33% (4/12) showed
a concomitant rectal location, while 17% (2/12), had also a
duodenal location. In 67% of them (8/12) the oral lesions
were compatible with an oral location of the disease, while
in the remaining 33% (4/12) they were not. The subjects
of the control group, 4 were women and 7 men, aged 45–
65, had not any clinical sign of IBD or other gastroenteric
disease. Cultural examination after 6 months was negative
for all the biopsies. Nested PCR was positive in 9 biopsies:
8 from patients affected by CD and 1 from a subject of the
control group (Figure 3 and Table 1). In the 8 CD patients
the ulcerative lesions were compatible with oral CD. Histo-
logical examination was compatible with ulcerative lesions
characterized by lymphoplasmacellular and histiocytarian
chronic phlogosis. Neither cases of cobblestoning, nor
cases in which swelling of lymph node chains were ob-
served, while in 3 patients a mild lip swelling was observed.
In 4 CD patients with a negative Nested PCR, oral ulcers
were small secondary lesions characterized by a little flat
exulceration with hyperaemic edge and intensely painful.
Histological examination was compatible with small
abscessual foci or nonspecific phlogosis with chorion
oedema and neutrophilic cells infiltration.
The subjects of the control group presented an
aphthous-like lesion with hyperaemic edge and a bottom
covered with fibrin, without a histological picture compat-
ible with CD. In the remaining 10 control subjects with aFigure 3 Results of IS900 PCR testing for Mycobacterium avium subsp
results are consistent with an extensive Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratu
control; Lane 19: positive PCR control; Lanes 12 and 13: positive samples.negative Nested PCR, lesions varied from simple gingivites
to aphthous gingival-stomatites or to small aphtha-like
exulcerative lesions; in no case the lesions showed a CD-
like histology. Statistical analysis showed a significative
difference between the positive results of Nested PCR
obtained in the first group and in the control one
(p=0,0094 two tailed). The molecular methods specific
for MAP allow its identification from intestinal biop-
sies of CD patients and represent the gold standard to
distinguish MAP from other mycobacteria [4-7]. Oral
lesions in CD patients occur in a percentage comprised
between 0.5% and 20% [8-10] and it has been seen that
some aphthous-like lesions may be specific indexes of
the disease [11,12]. The cultures resulted negative
probably due to difficulties in the isolation of MAP.
The negative results of the cultural examination may
be explained with the difficulties in the isolation of
MAP known in literature. Its growth is extremely slow
(4–6 months) and strongly dependent on the addition
of Mycobactin J in the culture medium. Instead, Nested
PCR was positive in 8 of 12 CD patients and in 1
healthy subject. Positiveness associated to the control
subject requires further investigation to ascertain if the
oral lesion is an initial sign of the disease. We found a
highly significant association between Mycobacterium
avium subsp. paratuberculosis and oral biopsies in CD
patients, and considering that these lesions may occur
at the beginning of CD and that MAP could be the
etiological agent, its quick identification might repre-
sent an important diagnostic tool.. paratuberculosis in the patient CD with con oral lesions. The
berculosis infection. Lanes: 1 and 20 Markers 100 bp; Lane 2: negative
Molicotti et al. Gut Pathogens 2013, 5:18 Page 4 of 4
http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/5/1/18Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interest.
Authors’ contributions
PM was involved in the experimental design and drafted the manuscript. AS
was involved in the experimental design and helped to draft the manuscript.
AL participated in the design of the study. SC carried out the samples’
analysis. AB provided writing assistance. PL and SZ conceived the study, and
participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the
manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Author details
1Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche – Microbiologia Sperimentale e Clinica,
Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
2Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica Sperimentale ed Oncologica – Sezione
Clinica Chirurgica, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy. 3Dipartimento
di Scienze Chirurgiche, Microchirurgiche e Mediche. Università degli Studi di
Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Received: 18 March 2013 Accepted: 4 June 2013
Published: 10 July 2013
References
1. Scanu AM, Bull TJ, Cannas S, Sanderson JD, Sechi LA, Dettori G, Zanetti S,
Hermon-Taylor J: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
infection in cases of irritable bowel syndrome and comparison with
Crohn's disease and Johne's disease: common neural and immune
pathogenicities. J Clin Microbiol 2007, 45(12):3883–3890.
2. Taylor H: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, Crohn's
disease and the Doomsday scenario. Gut Pathog 2009, 1(1):15.
3. Bull TJ, Hermon-Taylor J, Pavlik II, El-Zaatari F, Tizard M: Characterization of
IS900 loci in Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and
development of multiplex PCR typing. Microbiology 2000, 146(Pt 12):3285.
4. Chiodini RJ: Crohn's disease and the mycobacterioses: a review and
comparison of two disease entities. Clin Microbiol Rev 1989, 2(1):90–117.
5. Bull TJ, Sidi-Boumedine K, McMinn EJ, Stevenson K, Pickup R, Hermon-Taylor
J: Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU) differentiate
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis from other species of
the Mycobacterium avium complex. Mol Cell Probes 2003, 17(4):157–164.
6. Sechi LA, Mura M, Tanda F, Lissia A, Solinas A, Fadda G, Zanetti S:
Identification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in biopsy
specimens from patients with Crohn's disease identified by in situ
hybridization. J Clin Microbiol 2001, 39(12):4514–4517. Erratum in: J Clin
Microbiol 2002: Feb;40(2):739. Manuela, M [corrected to Mura, M]; Francesco,
T [corrected to Tanda, F]; Amelia, L [corrected to Lissia, A]; Antonello, S
[corrected to Solinas, A]; Giovanni, F [corrected to Fadda, G]; Stefania, Z
[corrected to Zanetti, S].
7. Autschbach F, Eisold S, Hinz U, Zinser S, Linnebacher M, Giese T, Löffler T,
Büchler MW, Schmidt J: High prevalence of Mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuberculosis IS900 DNA in gut tissues from individuals
with Crohn's disease. Gut 2005, 54(7):944–949.
8. Sanderson J, Nunes C, Escudier M, Barnard K, Shirlaw P, Odell E, Chinyama
C, Challacombe S: Oro-facial granulomatosis: Crohn's disease or a new
inflammatory bowel disease? Inflamm Bowel Dis 2005, 11(9):840–846.
9. Harty S, Fleming P, Rowland M, Crushell E, McDermott M, Drumm B, Bourke
B: A prospective study of the oral manifestations of Crohn's disease.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005, 3(9):886–891.
10. Pittock S, Drumm B, Fleming P, McDermott M, Imrie C, Flint S, Bourke B: The
oral cavity in Crohn's disease. J Pediatr 2001, 138(5):767–771.
11. Daley TD, Armstrong JE: Oral manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases.
Can J Gastroenterol 2007, 21(4):241–244.
12. Lourenço SV, Hussein TP, Bologna SB, Sipahi AM, Nico MM: Oral
manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease: a review based on the
observation of six cases. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2010, 24(2):204–207.
doi:10.1186/1757-4749-5-18
Cite this article as: Molicotti et al.: Molecular identification of
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in oral biopsies of
Crohn’s disease patients. Gut Pathogens 2013 5:18.Submit your next manuscript to BioMed Central
and take full advantage of: 
• Convenient online submission
• Thorough peer review
• No space constraints or color ﬁgure charges
• Immediate publication on acceptance
• Inclusion in PubMed, CAS, Scopus and Google Scholar
• Research which is freely available for redistribution
Submit your manuscript at 
www.biomedcentral.com/submit


Molecular identification of <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> subspecies <i>paratuberculosis</i> in oral biopsies of Crohn’s disease patients

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UnissResearch