Host defensive functions in a family manifesting early-onset periodontitis
This paper discussed the disease status of a mother and her two daughters who manifested or showed a susceptibility to EOP. The group also showed slight lymphocytic dysfunctions.
The mother, a 40-year-old Japanese, presented with gingival bleeding and tooth mobility. The patient, while in her twenties, had undergone periodontal surgery in the mandibular incisor region. A clinical diagnosis of RPP was made. The elder daughter (14 years), who had not received prior periodontal diagnosis or therapy, showed vertical bone resorption in the maxillary and mandibular incisor and first molar regions. She received a diagnosis of localized juvenile periodontitis. The younger daughter (13 years) presented with slight gingival redness and was diagnosed with simple gingivitis. Clinical examinations were performed and probing depths were classified into three groups: < 3 mm, between 4 mm and 6 mm, and > 7 mm. Blood samples were drawn and analyzed with respect to the feature of peripheral blood, differential leukocyte count, immunoglobulins, and complement. Neutrophil function was analyzed as to chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and superoxide production. Functional and phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes, humoral immune responses to periodontal bacteria, and serological typing of HLA also were studied. The "test" samples were compared to samples from 20 healthy individuals.
The results showed that only the mother displayed a neutrophil chemotactic defect to fMLP but showed a normal random migration. The percentages of CD4positive T-cells in the mother and elder daughter were higher than the mean of the healthy individuals. The T4/T8 ratios of both daughters also were higher than the mean values of the control group. These results were opposite to what has been reported in previous studies. Lymphocyte function results varied and were not conclusive.
Overall, this study could not identify common risk factors in these family members. The study group was small and as such demonstrates the need for studies involving larger numbers of EOP families. [D.S.S.]
Arai H.,T. Chigara, K. Takahashi A. Nagai I. Akutsu, S. Takashiba, F. Nishimura, H. Kurihara, and Y. Murayama, J Periodont, 67:433, 1996