The gingival inflammatory infiltrate in cardiac patients treated with calcium antagonists

Objectives: To analyse the periodontal inflammatory infiltrates in patients with cardiac disease, some of these patients were treated with calcium ant agonists (nifedipine and diltiazem) and some were not, to compare them with a healthy control group, and to evaluate the changes in the inflammatory i nfiltrate after periodontal treatment. Material and methods: A "healthy group" (HG, n=12), a "cardiac group" (CG, n=12) without treatment with calcium antagonists, a "nifedipine group" (NG, n=18) and a "diltiazem group" (DG, n=13) were analysed. Biopsies were take n from a zone 2-3 mm below the upper part of the interproximal papillae 12- 13 and 33-32 before causal periodontal treatment and after 1 year. Using ha ematoxylin-eosin staining, the plasma cells (P), lymphocytes (L), histiocyt es (H) and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) were counted. T and B lymphocytes were evaluated using the monoclonal antibodies anti-CD20 and anti-CD45RO. S tatistical tests used: x(2) for study of the sample composition; ANOVA for comparison between groups; Student t-test and Wilcoxon test for comparison between visits; post-hoc test Bonferroni. Results: When the cells were compared statistically, differences were stabl ished for L at the first visit (p <0.00001) and at the last visit (p <0.02) , for the B lymphocytes (first visit p <0.0021, last visit p <0.022) and fo r the T lymphocytes (first visit p <0.0042, last visit p <0.0021). Between the 2 visits, FIG showed significant reductions for P (p <0.01), L (p <0.04 5) and H (p <0.033); and the NG for L (p <0.0001). Lymphocytes showed diffe rences in the NG with respect to the B lymphocytes (p <0.008). Conclusions: Nifedipine affects the inflammatory infiltrate with a greater number of lymphocytes (especially B) and these cells fell significantly in number after periodontal treatment.