Some effects of non-surgical therapy on gingival inflammatory cell subsetsin patients with adult and early-onset periodontitis

Background: Limited information is available to determine if there is a dis tinction in local cellular immunity between adult and early-onset periodont itis. Furthermore, the effect of scaling and root planing on various lympho cyte subsets is sparsely described. Methods: Clinical measurements were recorded and gingival biopsies were per formed before and after scaling and root planing in 10 subjects with adult (AP) and in 10 with early-onset periodontitis (EOP). The specimens were cut into serial sections and, using the alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline pho sphatase technique, monoclonal antibodies to CD20 (B-cells), CD30 (plasma c ells), and CD45RO (T-memory cells) were applied, as well as polyclonal anti bodies to alpha, gamma, and mu chains (Ig A, G, and M). Areas showing the l argest infiltration cells were counted. Results: Mean counts of all cell phenotypes in the AP versus the EOP group did not show any significant differences before therapy (P > 0.05). Followi ng scaling and root planing, numbers of all phenotypes decreased in both gr oups. Comparing the data before and after therapy, P values were > 0.05 in the AP group, except for IgA-positive cells. In the EOP group, the differen ces before and after therapy reached statistical significance (P < 0.05) fo r all cell counts, except for IgM-positive cells. Furthermore, reduction of probing depth and gain of clinical attachment reached the 0.05 level of st atistical significance only in EOP subjects. Conclusions: Local cellular immunity in patients with adult onset periodont itis does not appear to differ from the immune response in patients with ea rly onset periodontitis. Scaling and root planing causes a decrease in the inflammatory cells subsets tested, however, this decline seems to be more p ronounced in EOP than in AP subjects.