Presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and plasma cell dominance in gingival tissues with periodontitis.
OBJECTIVE
Porphyromonas gingivalis can invade and survive within its host epithelial cells. The aim of this study was to test our hypothesis that persistent presence of intracellular periodontal pathogens in gingival tissue causes the chronic inflammation and that an inappropriate immune response is a risk factor for periodontitis.


METHODS
Together with the presence of P. gingivalis, the distribution of B cells, plasma cells, and CD4(+), CD8(+), and FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells was evaluated in gingival tissues from healthy (n = 7) and periodontitis (n = 8) sites by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively.


RESULTS
Porphyromonas gingivalis was detected in proximity to inflammatory infiltrates in three and seven biopsies from the healthy and periodontitis sites, respectively. Compared with healthy sites, periodontal lesions contained a significantly increased number of each immune cell studied with a relative dominance of plasma cells over T cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Persistent bacterial invasion of gingival tissues in combination with a plasma cell-dominant immune response may be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.
Programs in Oromaxillofacial Infection & Immunity and BK21 CLS, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Y C
YC
Kim
Y
Y
Ko
S-D
SD
Hong
K Y
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Kim
Y H
YH
Lee
C
C
Chae
Y
Y
Choi
D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology; D005881:Gingiva / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012016:Reference Values; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors