HOST DEFENSIVE FUNCTIONS IN A FAMILY MANIFESTING EARLY-ONSET PERIODONTITIS

FAMILY CASE STUDIES HELP US IDENTIFY host risk factors in periodontal disease. In this study we examine a family consisting of a mother (40 years old, with rapidly progressive periodontitis), her elder daughter (14 years old, with localized juvenile periodontitis), and younger da ughter (13 years old, with simple gingivitis). We examined 1) the peri pheral neutrophil functions (chemotactic migration, phagocytosis, supe roxide production); 2) lymphocyte functions (proliferative activity an d cytokine productivity of T cells, immunoglobulin [Ig] M productivity of B cells when stimulated with pokeweed mitogen); 3) phenotypic anal yses of peripheral lymphocyte subpopulations; 4) serum IgG antibody ti ters against periodontopathic bacteria; and 5) serological type of HLA class IS. All the subjects exhibited high T4/T8 ratios due to high pe rcentage of CD4-positive cells, showed high IgG titers to Actinobacill us actinomycetemcomitans, and had a HLA DQw1 in common. The mother sho wed a slight deficiency of neutrophil chemotactic migration to N-formy l methyonyl leucyl phenylalanin (fMLP), raised interleukin-2 productiv ity of T cell, and high levels of IgG titers to Porphyromonus gingival is and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Both daughters showed weak T cell prol iferative response to anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and low IgM product ivity. Low lymphocyte responsiveness may be involved in the pathogenes is of periodontal disease of these daughters; therefore, the lymphocyt e dysfunctions shown should be considered in relation to the progressi on of periodontal disease.