Analysis of serum antibody responses to periodontopathogens in early-onsetperiodontitis patients from different geographical locations

Serum antibody specificity to oral micro-organisms was used to delineate th e pathogens associated with early-onset periodontal diseases in a Turkish p opulation. Additionally, comparison of the findings to those derived from a clinically similar US patient population described differences in bacteria l specific antibody between these 2 geographic regions. Serum from 89 (LJP) , 86 (RPP) and 94 (normal) subjects was analyzed (ELISA) to determine IgG a ntibody to 14 oral micro-organisms. All LJP patients from Turkey exhibited elevated antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans (serotypes c and a sig nificantly increased), while antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 and JP2 (serotype b) were significantly higher in US LJP patients. 50% of the Turkish RPP patients also showed elevated anti-A. actinomycetemcomitans antibody, although the US RPP patients exhibited significantly higher anti body levels and frequency of elevated antibody to the A. actinomyceteilzcom itans serotypes. Healthy subjects and LJP and RPP patients from the US exhi bited higher antibody levels to all 3 P. gingivalis serogroups compared to those from Turkey, although, the frequency of elevated antibody to the P. g ingivalis serogroups was significantly higher in LJP and RPP patients from Turkey than from the US. Interestingly, 87% and 77% of the LJP patients in the Turkish population had elevated antibody responses to P. gingivalis and E. corrodens, respectively, which was not observed in the US LJP patients. These data suggested that considerable variation exists in the systemic an tibody levels to periodontopathogens between these 2 countries. This suppor ts potential differences in subgingival colonization or antigenic compositi on of these pathogens between patient populations from different geographic al regions.