[Detection and functional analysis of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes of proportion and suppression function of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with aggressive periodontitis.


METHODS
Flow cytometric analysis was used to detect the frequency of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of 16 patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis and 17 patients with chronic periodontitis, as well as 17 periodontal healthy controls. Furthermore, CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells and CD-4+ CD-25- T cells were separated from peripheral blood of each enrolling subject using magnetic cell sorting technology. The direct suppression effect of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells on CD-4+ CD-25- T lymphocytes proliferation was performed by the mixed lymphocytes reaction and measured by 3H-thymidine radioactive assay.


RESULTS
The patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis had a lower frequency of CD4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells (9.71 +/- 4.01)% in the peripheral blood than periodontal healthy controls [(14.72 +/- 3.51)%] and chronic periodontitis patients [(17.01 +/- 5.16 )%], P < 0.05. A significant decrease was found in the suppression function of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells from peripheral blood of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis when co-cultured with CD-4+ CD-25- T lymphocytes in the proportion of 2 : 1, 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 as compared with chronic periodontitis patients and periodontal healthy controls (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Diminished numbers and decreased suppression function of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells were found in patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis.
Zhao
Chuan-Jiang
CJ
Department of Periodontology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou 510055, China. periozhao@yahoo.cn
Xu
Chen-Rong
CR
Zhou
Yu-Zhu
YZ
Su
Xiao-Peng
XP
D000328:Adult; D010520:Aggressive Periodontitis / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology*