Comparative antibody titers to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in juvenile periodontitis, chronic periodontitis and periodontally healthy subjects

Abstract

Circulating antibody levels to four strains of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) were determined by means of an indirect immunofluorescent technique in three groups of 21 subjects each, including one with juvenile periodontitis (JP), one with chronic periodontitis (CP) and one free of periodontal disease (N). Mean levels of antibody to Aa were significantly elevated in the JP group as compared to the CP and N groups with respect to strains Y4, 29522 and 29524, but not strain 29523. Since strains Y4, 29522 and 29524 contain a leukotoxin that is missing from strain 29523, the results suggest that the leukotoxin could account for the difference in the immune response among the three groups of subjects. Varying the end-point considered to represent positive fluorescence did not significantly affect the results, although discrimination among the three groups appeared to be somewhat better at lower intensities of fluorescence. Because of wide variations in antibody titers recorded in individual subjects, elevated levels of antibody to certain strains of Aa may not be useful as a primary diagnostic test for JP, but may be of value in confirming an otherwise uncertain clinical diagnosis.

Antigen Specificity of Serum Antibody in A. actinomycetemcomitans-infected Periodontitis Patients

“…Antigenic studies have described three primary serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans (Zambon et al, 1983b;McArthur et al, 1986;Ebersole et al, 1994b), although additional serotypes have been identified in some humans (Zambon et al, 1983a;McArthur et al, 1986;Chung et al, 1989;Ohgi and Kamoi, 1990;Asikainen et al 1991Asikainen et al , 1992Ebersole et al, 1991). Our patient population showed elevated antibody specific for A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b (Ebersole and Holt, 1991) and supported the presence of serotype b as the primary type in human periodontitis patients (Listgarten et al, 1981;Gmiur et al, 1986;Genco et al, 1988;Gunsolley et al, 1988;Califano et al, 1989;Ebersole, 1990). Serum IgG antibody responses to outer membrane proteins and sonicate antigens from A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype c have been described (Watanabe et al 1989).…”

Elevated serum IgG titer and avidity to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype c in Japanese periodontitis patients

“…The elevated antibody against A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b (Y4) in localized AgP is in accordance with earlier studies (10, 22, 27). Ranney et al.…”

Infection patterns in chronic and aggressive periodontitis

“…According to this notion, high levels of systemic antibodies are thought to “contain” the extent of periodontal tissue support loss, while poor ab responses are expected to contribute to a more widespread periodontal destruction. This perception has been primarily founded on data from several studies in the early 80s that investigated serum ab responses to A. actinomycetemcomitans (Listgarten et al 1981, Ebersole et al 1982, Ranney et al 1982, Genco et al 1985). Using the accepted nomenclature of the time, these studies primarily compared subjects with LJP or GJP and, to a lesser extent, subjects with adult periodontitis, and demonstrated an inverse relationship between titre levels and extent of disease.…”