LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO PUTATIVE PERIODONTOPATHOGENS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS - CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL INDEXES

Specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA and IgM antibody titres to Porphy romonas gingivalis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans were measu red by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum and gingival crevicu lar fluid at 5 sites in each of 20 chronic periodontitis patients. Spe cific serum antibody titres correlated with mean gingival crevicular f luid titres. The 3 immunoglobulin subclass responses (IgA, IgG and IgM ) to P gingivalis correlated. A comparison of sites with probing depth < 4 mm and greater-than-or-equal-to 4 mm showed that the latter group had significantly lower gingival crevicular fluid IgG titres to P gin givalis. Sites with a gingival index of 3 had significantly lower ging ival crevicular fluid IgG titres to this organism than those with a gi ngival index of less than 3. These findings support the concept that t he humoral immune response is protective, as chronic periodontitis pat ients with greater pocket depths and more gingival inflammation had pa radoxically lower antibody titres to suspected periodontopathogens.