Effectiveness of egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) against periodontal disease-causing Fusobacterium nucleatum

Abstract

Aims To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effectiveness of egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) against periodontal disease‐causing Fusobacterium nucleatum. Methods and Results Four White Leghorn hens (120 days old) were immunized with whole Fus. nucleatum cells killed with 1% formaldehyde using three injections provided at 2‐week intervals. IgY was produced from egg yolks obtained from these immunized hens using water dilution, two‐step salt precipitation and ultrafiltration. This IgY was shown to have a purity of 86·8% based on its optical intensity in the stained SDS‐PAGE bands. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay indicated a high specificity for the IgY against Fus. nucleatum with a maximum antibody titre of 80 000. The IgY had only weak cross‐reactivity with Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Solobacterium moorei. Growth and biofilm formation by Fus. nucleatum were inhibited by IgY at concentrations of 10 and 20 mg ml−1. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscope assays revealed a high binding ability of specific IgY, which may explain the in vitro effectiveness of IgY. In an in vivo study, IgY treatment resulted in a marked decrease in alveolar bone loss after Fus. nucleatum infection in a mouse model confirming the effectiveness of IgY against periodontal disease‐causing Fus. nucleatum. Conclusions IgY effectively inhibited growth and biofilm formation by Fus. nucleatum and prevented the progression of periodontal disease by decreasing alveolar bone loss. Significance and Impact of the Study Specific IgY may have potential for the treatment of periodontal disease.

Egg yolk antibodies (IgY) and their applications in human and veterinary health: A review

“…Additionally, studies have shown inhibitory growth effect of therapeutic IgY produced against Fusobacterium nucleatum in liquid medium and in the formation of biofilm in polyestyrene plates. Anti-F. nucleatum IgY also reduced bone loss in mice with periodontal disease when applied after the infection, thus presenting therapeutic function [69].…”

Protective effect of an egg yolk-derived immunoglobulin (IgY) againstPrevotella intermedia-mediated gingivitis

“…nucleatum (Xu et al . ). The binding of IgY on bacteria may block or impair the functions of growth‐related bacterial components and consequently lead to bacterial growth inhibition.…”

“…Alveolar bone loss is a common symptom of periodontal disease. Xu et al (2012) reported that Fus. nucleatuminfected mice showed a marked decrease in alveolar bone loss after treated with IgY specific to Fus.…”

“…Antimicrobials, along with mechanical therapy (such as scaling and root planing), are commonly used in the treatment of periodontal disease (Xu et al . ), but antimicrobials are not available for some sufferers of gingivitis, such as pregnant women, the high‐risk groups of gingivitis, because of the potential side effects. And the increasing prevalence of antibacterial‐resistant bacteria has greatly reduced the applicability of antibacterial therapy (Güler et al .…”

“…Nucleatum (Xu et al . ) were prepared and evaluated. However, the use of IgY against gingivitis‐causing P. intermedia has not been reported.…”