Putative periodontal pathogens, antibody titres and avidities to them in a longitudinal study of patients with resistant periodontitis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study changes in antibody titres and antibody avidities to putative periodontal pathogens in patients with resistant periodontitis and to compare these findings with the result of culture of these pathogens. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients meeting strict clinical criteria in whom periodontal therapy had failed to prevent disease progression were studied microbiologically and immunologically over a 75‐week period. Particular reference was made to the isolation of Actinobocillus actinomycetemcomitons (Aa) and Porphyromonos gingivalis (Pg) together with changes in antibody titres and avidities to these organisms between baseline examination and week 75. RESULTS: Pg was eliminated following antibiotic treatment but metronidazole and amoxycillin therapy failed to remove Aa in all cases. Antibody avidities to these pathogens were higher in patients than in matched controls but no change in avidity was noted during the course of treatment. Most antibody titres were not significantly higher in patients than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Continued disease progression characterised these patients who, nevertheless, mounted an immune response to the periodontal pathogens but this appeared to be inadequate to stop the disease.

Smoking and periodontal disease: discrimination of antibody responses to pathogenic and commensal oral bacteria

“…These findings were extended to potential success or failure of the antibodies to protect the host effectively. A range of studies have suggested that the immune response to oral pathogens does not mature effectively, as estimated via antibody avidity [41–46], and could contribute to lowered protective capacity. Furthermore, examination of the effector functions of antibodies to the oral pathogens has provided some challenge due to, for example, the gingipains from P. gingivalis effectively degrade antibodies and complement components in vitro [47–49], and the leucotoxin from A. actinomycetemcomitans killing neutrophils [50–52] in test for opsonizing potential.…”

Differential gender effects of a reduced‐calorie diet on systemic inflammatory and immune parameters in nonhuman primates

“…In humans, both the specificity and levels of serum antibody responses to oral pathogens are clearly related to periodontal disease (50,58,77,81,82). Both antibody frequency and level increase with increasing severity of periodontal disease, and various studies have demonstrated that these serum antibody levels will be elevated following mechanical therapy and will correlate with response to treatment (50,(83)(84)(85)(86). Moreover, changes in serum antibody to selected oral pathogens appear to occur following emergence of the microorganisms in oral biofilm samples and prior to the identification of progressing disease (50,87).…”

Antibody response after single‐visit full‐mouth ultrasonic debridement versus quadrant‐wise therapy

“…On the other hand, Chen et al (1991) reported that generalized aggressive periodontitis patients had lower antibody avidity, which increased following non‐surgical therapy. A study by Holbrook et al (1996) noted low antibody avidity to P. gingivalis in chronic periodontitis, which did not change with therapy including a combination antibiotic regimen.…”