concanavalin-a and Periodontitis

Data from cross-sectional studies suggest that periodontitis in HIV-infected patients is a more destructive form of disease in contrast to the slowly progressing form of adult periodontitis in the general population. We studied prospectively over an 18-month period 30 HIV infected, but asymptomatic, patients and compared the rate of periodontal attachment loss with that of a healthy control group (n = 10) matched for age and plaque index. Every 6 months, each subject was assessed for their clinical status by a physician and CD4+ cell count determined. The proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined by in vitro cultures with PHA and Con A. The periodontal health status was assessed by scoring with plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and periodontal disease index (PDI). The control subjects were assessed for periodontal status only. Of the 30 HIV-positive patients whose data were analyzed 14 received Zidovudine (AZT) while the remaining 16 did not. There was no correlation between any clinical parameter measured and periodontal status as determined by PI or GI. However, a significant difference in the change of periodontal disease index (PDI) was observed between the HIV-infected and control groups (P = 0.005). We concluded that HIV-infected patients with pre-existing periodontitis tend to experience a greater rate of attachment loss over time compared with controls.

Topics: Adult; Case-Control Studies; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Cohort Studies; Concanavalin A; Dental Plaque Index; HIV Infections; HIV Seropositivity; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Male; Periodontal Index; Periodontitis; Phytohemagglutinins; Regression Analysis; Time Factors; Zidovudine

Lactoferrin (Lf) is a member of the transferrin family of iron-binding anti-bacterial proteins, present in most exocrine secretions, such as saliva, and plays an important role in mucosal defense. In this study, we identified small Lf peptides with Con A low-affinity in the parotid saliva of chronic periodontitis patients by Con A two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, Con A affinity chromatography and Western blotting using anti-human Lf polyclonal Ab. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the four Con A low-affinity Lf peptides confirmed them to be fragments of intact Lf. The detection ratio of the proteinase 3 (PR3)-like activity was elevated in the parotid saliva of periodontitis patients and was associated with the severity of clinical symptoms. PR3 protein was also detected in the parotid saliva of periodontitis patients, and PR3, but not human leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G, degraded intact Lf. Con A low-affinity saliva Lf peptides showed no anti-bacterial activity against Escherichia coli, and had a reduced iron-chelating capacity. Con A low-affinity saliva Lf peptides, PR3-treated Lf preparation and two of four synthetic polypeptides induced the production of interleukin IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and IL-8, and the activation of NF-kappaB in human oral epithelial HSC-2 cells. Furthermore, concentrations of the Lf peptides in the parotid saliva of periodontitis patients were increased with a correlation to the severity of clinical symptoms. These results suggest that Lf in the parotid saliva of periodontitis patients was degraded into small peptides by the PR3-like activity with the capability to induce inflammatory mediators.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Chemokines; Concanavalin A; Cytokines; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Humans; Lactoferrin; Molecular Sequence Data; Mouth Mucosa; Myeloblastin; NF-kappa B; Parotid Gland; Peptide Fragments; Periodontitis; Saliva

Freezing techniques provide a means for repeating and extending immunological assays with frozen aliquots of an individual's peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction. Lymphocytes which are stored frozen for a limited time retain their ability to respond to polyclonal B-cell activators, mitogens, and antigens of dental interest. Our studies extend these previous findings by determining lymphocyte functional activity following frozen storage for up to 100 weeks. In addition, the autologous immune response was measured by spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation following 0, 1, 40, and 60 weeks of frozen storage. Peak responses for all individuals occurred at day 7 of incubation. The lymphocyte proliferative response to the superantigens toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) and Staphylococcus enterotoxin A (SEA) were not changed after 100 weeks of frozen storage. Maximum responses varied among the individuals but occurred at equivalent stimulator concentrations. However, slopes generated from data obtained following 0, 4, 13, 20, 30, 50, 88, and 100 weeks of frozen storage showed no significant deviation from zero (P > 0.05) for all individuals tested. After 100 weeks of storage, the total changes in proliferative activity (counts per minute per week) were -2.1% +/- 16.8% and -5.5% +/- 17.0% for TSST-1 and SEA, respectively. The lymphocyte proliferative responses to pokeweed mitogen, concanavalin A, and sonicates of two periodontal pathogens (Porphyromonas gingivalis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) following frozen storage were similar to those with TSST-1 and SEA. These results indicate that peripheral blood mononuclear cells stored frozen may serve as appropriate controls to monitor changes in the disease state long-term periodontal treatment.

Topics: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial Toxins; Concanavalin A; Enterotoxins; Freezing; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Longitudinal Studies; Lymphocyte Activation; Periodontitis; Pokeweed Mitogens; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Superantigens

Products of periodontopathic bacteria exert immunomodulatory effects on various lymphoid cell populations, some of which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. It has recently been suggested that some of these bacterial products may possess superantigenic (SAg) activity. SAg bind simultaneously to the V beta chain of T cell receptors and to class II major histocompatibility complex molecules, thereby activating as many as 35% of T cells to proliferate and produce cytokines. In order to examine this question, the proliferation of splenic and thymic T cells from immunologically naive, 3-6-wk-old Balb/c (H-2d), C57BL/6 (H-2b) and C3H/HeJ (H-2k) mice was assessed in response to sonic extracts of periodontopathogens. Laboratory and/or reference strains of a.o. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens were used as stimulants. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), a known superantigen, was utilized as a positive control. Unfractionated spleen cells responded to several of the tested preparations of the different bacteria, as well as to SEB, Con A and Escherichia coli LPS. Thymocytes responded to Con A and SEB, but not to LPS or to any sonic extract. Spleen cells depleted of B cells by panning responded to SEB and Con A, but not to LPS and showed a reduced response to sonicates. The residual response of B cell-depleted spleen cells was reduced essentially to background by treatment with anti-Thy 1.2 + C'. Similar results were obtained in the presence of 5% added mitomycin-treated antigen presenting cells, indicating that these cells were not limiting. These results demonstrate that extracts of periodontopathic bacteria do not stimulate murine T cells in a manner consistent with superantigenic activation.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Animals; Antigen-Presenting Cells; Antigens, Bacterial; Cell Division; Concanavalin A; Cytokines; Enterotoxins; Escherichia coli; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; Lipopolysaccharides; Lymphocyte Activation; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred Strains; Periodontitis; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Prevotella; Prevotella intermedia; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; Spleen; Staphylococcus aureus; Superantigens; T-Lymphocytes; Thymus Gland

Topics: Alveolar Bone Loss; Bone Regeneration; Collagen; Concanavalin A; Connective Tissue; Enzyme Activation; Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Fibroblasts; Fibronectins; Gingiva; Glycoproteins; Humans; Metalloendopeptidases; Osteonectin; Periodontitis; Phenotype; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Topics: Animals; B-Lymphocytes; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Immunologic Memory; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mitomycins; Periodontitis; T-Lymphocytes

Topics: Adult; Concanavalin A; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Male; Periodontitis; Phytohemagglutinins; Pokeweed Mitogens; T-Lymphocytes

Topics: Animals; Concanavalin A; Dogs; Gingiva; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Mitogens; Periodontitis; Phytohemagglutinins; Pokeweed Mitogens

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Concanavalin A; Female; Gingiva; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Periodontitis; Phytohemagglutinins; Pokeweed Mitogens

Topics: Actinomyces; Adolescent; Adult; Antigens; Concanavalin A; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Humans; Indomethacin; Lymphocyte Activation; Middle Aged; Mitogens; Periodontitis; Phytohemagglutinins; Prostaglandins E; Veillonella