THE INFLUENCE OF SMOKING AND RACE ON ADULT PERIODONTITIS AND SERUM IGG2 LEVELS

SMOKING IS A KNOWN RISK FACTOR for developing periodontal diseases, bu t the risk appears to be greater for white smokers than black smokers. Furthermore, it has been reported that young white subjects have sign ificantly lower levels of serum IgG2 than their non-smoking counterpar ts while young black adult subjects are generally not affected by smok ing. These relationships prompted the hypothesis that adult white subj ects, including periodontitis subjects, who smoked would have more att achment loss than adult black subjects and that smoking would be assoc iated with lower serum IgG2 levels in adult white subjects but not in adult black subjects. Smoking status was established from serum cotini ne levels determined by radioimmunoassay. Serum IgG subclass levels we re determined using radial immunodiffusion. White adult periodontitis (AP) and non-periodontitis (NP) subjects who smoked had greater mean a ttachment loss per site than their non-smoking counterparts. Furthermo re, smoking white AP subjects and their age-matched NP controls had su bstantially less IgG2 in their serum. In marked contrast, we were unab le to detect any increase in periodontal destruction or a significant decrease in serum IgG2 levels in smoking black AP subjects or their ag e-matched controls. However, IgG1 and IgG4 levels were reduced in smok ing black AP subjects. IgG3 was the only subclass in adults that was u naffected by smoking. IgG2 can be a good opsonin and may help central periodontitis-associated bacteria in adults. Even though a cause-and-e ffect relationship has not been established, the association between a smoking-related decrease in serum IgG2 and an increase in periodontal destruction in white subjects is striking.