CD29 EXPRESSION ON CD4(-LYMPHOCYTES TO DISEASED PERIODONTAL TISSUE() GINGIVAL LYMPHOCYTES SUPPORTS MIGRATION OF ACTIVATED MEMORY T)

The cell surface phenotypes of CD4(+) cells extracted from inflammator y periodontal disease tissues were analyzed using two- and three-color immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Cells extracted from both adul t periodontal and localized juvenile periodontilis lesions showed a de pressed CD4/CD8 ratio (1.0+/-0.1 adult periodontitis and 1.1+/-0.1 loc alized juvenile periodontitis) compared with cells recovered from norm al/marginal gingivitis tissue (1.8+/-0.2) or with normal peripheral bl ood cells (2.1+/-0.1) or periodontal disease blood cells (2.1+/-0.1 an d 1.7+/-0.1 for adult periodontitis and juvenile periodontitis, respec tively). The monoclonal antibodies anti-2H4 and anti-4B4 were used to identify the CD45RA and CD29 antigens respectively on CD4(+) T cells f rom the periodontal disease lesions. In peripheral blood, CD29(+) cell s accounted for 66-77% of the CD4(+) population, and CD45RA(+) cells a ccounted for 22-27% of the CD4(+) subset. No differences in expression were found between peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal subjects and from periodontal disease patients. Two-color analyses of lymphocyt es from periodontal diseased tissues showed that 87-89% of the CD4(+) population were CD29(+) and that 70-79% of the CD4(+) cells were CD45R A(+). Normal tissues contained significantly fewer CD4(+)CD29(+) cells (56+/-4%) and CD4(+)CD45RA(+) cells (40+/-4%) on average, and few, if any double-labelled cells could be accounted for. These data implied that a significant percentage of the CD4(+) cells from the diseased ti ssues were both CD29(+) and CD45RA(+) and that these populations are f ound in quite different proportions in diseased periodontal tissue tha n in peripheral blood or nondiseased tissue. In further analyses using three-color cytometry the mean percentage of CD4(+)CD29(+)CD45RA(+) l ymphocytes extracted from periodontal disease lesions was 43+/-9% of t he CD4(+) population. These results suggest that CD4(+) T lymphocytes in periodontal disease not only demonstrate varying levels of maturity but also that the accumulation of CD4(+) T cells within the periodont al tissues may be a result of increased adhesion and transendothelial migration.