Draft Results of a Workshop to Develop Guidelines for Studies Involving Microbial Incidence or Populations in the Oral Cavity

Abstract

The following five outlines are the results to date of the Workshop held in Rockville, Maryland, in January, 1990. The topics considered in these outlines are: (1) validation of immunological and/or nucleic acid identification probes, (2) cross-calibration of methods and/or laboratories for multi-laboratory cooperative studies, (3) choosing methods for identifying or describing microbial populations appropriate to the scientific question asked, (4) microbial ecology methods (e.g., population dynamics) for the oral cavity studies, and (5) epidemiological methods (e.g., incidence, risk factor analysis) for oral microbial studies. Each topic was considered by two independent groups of participants and later rationalized into one. These outlines are meant to be working outlines for evolution of a set of guidelines to advise on designing studies with microbial incidence and/or population components. We are publishing this preliminary version to elicit comment and criticism from people who did not attend the Workshop. (Attendance at the Workshop was necessarily limited by both space and funds.) Some of the topic outlines have been condensed to save Journal space. The full document is available on request. The next stage will be an open forum to gather and discuss further amplification of the "Guidelines", planned for April 17, 1991, Acapulco, Mexico, in conjunction with the IADR/ AADR Meeting. Written comments and requests for further information should be sent to the Workshop organizer (MIK) at the above address. Within each topic, the editing was done in two phases. The basic outlines were prepared by the "break-out" groups during the Workshop. The second stage was to annotate the outlines with the organizer's editorial comments and suggestions. The annotations are set off by brackets. In the main, these consist of requests for amplification and clarification. In a few cases, there may well need to be a fresh look at some of the concepts presented. Three come to mind immediately: (1) the use of diversity measures, (2) "gold standards", and (3) the use of community structure analysis as presented herein. Others may occur to the reader. You are invited to make any and all comments on the material presented in these outlines. Please let your comments range from syntax and format through detailed and broad observations on content and omission. Especially welcome will be your comments on the annotated remarks and any annotations you feel should be added. For example, should reprints be attached to the guidelines, or should the contents of relevant papers be synthesized (or some combination thereof)?