Determinants of serum IgG responses to periodontal bacteria in a nationally representative sample of US adults

• Published in: Journal of clinical periodontology Vol. 37; no. 8; pp. 685 - 696
• Main Authors: Vlachojannis, Christian, Dye, Bruce A., Herrera-Abreu, Miriam, Pikdöken, Levent, Lerche-Sehm, Julia, Pretzl, Bernadette, Celenti, Romanita, Papapanou, Panos N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2010; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Age Factors; Aged; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - immunology; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Dentistry; edentulism; Educational Status; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Humans; IgG antibodies; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mexican Americans; Middle Aged; Mouth - microbiology; Mouth, Edentulous - microbiology; NHANES; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; periodontitis; Periodontitis - blood; Periodontitis - ethnology; Periodontitis - immunology; Periodontitis - microbiology; Porphyromonas gingivalis - immunology; serum; Smoking; United States; United States; Human; Edentulousness; Stomatology; Antibody; Dental disease; IgG; Dentistry; edentulism; IgG antibodies; Periodontal disease; Periodontitis; Adult; Bacteria; Serum; NHANES
• ISSN: 0303-6979; 1600-051X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2010.01592.x

Vlachojannis C, Dye BA, Herrera‐Abreu M, Pikdöken L, Lerche‐Sehm J, Pretzl B, Celenti R, Papapanou PN. Determinants of serum IgG responses to periodontal bacteria in a nationally representative sample of US adults. J Clin Periodontol 2010; 37: 685‐696 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2010.01592.x Aim: To assess the distribution of elevated antibody titres to multiple periodontal bacteria, including established/putative pathogens and health‐related species, by selected demographic, behavioural, and oral‐ and general health‐related characteristics. Methods: Data from 8153 40‐year‐old participants from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, including 1588 edentulous individuals. We used checkerboard immunoblotting to assess serum IgG levels to 19 periodontal species. Thresholds for elevated antibody responses were defined for each species using the 90th percentile titre in periodontal healthy participants, using two alternative definitions of periodontitis. Results: Edentulous individuals showed lower antibody responses than dentate participants, notably for titres to “red complex” species and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. Elevated titres to Porphyromonas gingivalis were twice as prevalent in participants with periodontitis than in periodontal healthy individuals. Non‐Hispanic blacks and Mexican‐Americans were more likely to display elevated titres for P. gingivalis compared with non‐Hispanic whites (22.9%versus 19.4%versus 9.5%). Current smokers were significantly less likely to exhibit high titres to multiple bacteria than never smokers. Conclusion: Demographic, behavioural, and oral‐ and general health‐related characteristics were strong determinants of systemic antibody responses to periodontal bacteria in a nationally representative sample of US adults.