IMMUNIZATION AGAINST PORPHYROMONAS-GINGIVALIS INHIBITS PROGRESSION OFEXPERIMENTAL PERIODONTITIS IN NONHUMAN-PRIMATES

Periodontitis is a common infectious disease in which the attachment t issues of the teeth and their alveolar bone housing are destroyed, res ulting in tooth loss. The gram-negative anaerobic microorganism Porphy romonas gingivalis has been closely linked to severe forms of the dise ase. We show for the first time that immunization of the primate Macac a fascicularis with killed P. gingivalis in Syntex Adjuvant Formulatio n-M inhibits progression of periodontal tissue destruction.