A novel approach to nucleic acid target amplification will be evaluated as the basis for an in-office assay for periodontal pathogens. In this initial phase, standard procedures for nucleic acid preparation and end product detection will be used so that the novel principle in question is the only variable in the experiments. The maximal extent of amplification per DNA target sequence will be determined, and a variety of potential enzyme reagents will be tested for desired properties. The results of these experiments will provide a preliminary indication of the ability of the target amplification to improve the sensitivity of non-isotopic detection systems. At present, non-isotopic DNA probe assays lack the sensitivity to detect clinically significant levels of periodontal pathogens.
