title: Autoimmunity in periodontal disease.
abstract: Periodontal disease in characterized by the loss of the normal supporting tissues of the teeth and a humoral and cellular immune response to bacterial antigen of dental plaque which accumulates at the dento-gingival junction. This review considers the evidence for the existence of an autoimmune component of the host immune response, the possible origin of such a response and the way in which such a host response may contribute to the changes observed in the periodontium in the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Anusaksathien
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dolby
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000032:analysis; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens