title: Phenotypical and functional analysis of T cells in periodontitis.
abstract: To explore aspects of cellular immune responses in the pathogenesis of periodontitis we analyzed phenotype and function of peripheral T cells. Two groups of subjects participated: one group consisted of 10 highly susceptible patients with severe periodontitis (mean age 29 years) and a control group consisted of 10 age, gender and race matched subjects with gingivitis. From all subjects peripheral blood was collected. The results showed that the numbers of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as the CD4/CD8 ratio, and the proliferative capacity of T cells, were not different between the two groups of subjects. Also, proportions of naive and memory T cells for both the CD4+ and CD8+ subpopulations were not different. Functional heterogeneity within the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell compartments was determined by intracellular analysis of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) production. On the basis of these latter analyses among CD4+ and CD8+ cells, T helper (Th) 1 or Th2 function and T cytotoxic (Tc) 1 or Tc2 function, respectively, could be deduced. No significant differences in proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells positive for intracellular IFN-gamma or IL-4 were observed between periodontitis patients and gingivitis controls; however a higher level of intracellular IL-4 in CD8+ T cells was seen in periodontitis patients. This might indicate that there is a shift towards a Tc2 function within the CD8+ T cell subpopulation. The current explorative study suggests that further research into the role of CD8+ T cells in the pathogenesis of periodontitis is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hovenkamp
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: van der Velden
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miedema
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Loos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002455:Cell Division; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4