Premium
Helper and suppressor T cells in periodontal disease
Author(s) -
Stashenko P.,
Resmini L. M.,
Haffajee A. D.,
Socransky S. S.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of periodontal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.31
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0765
pISSN - 0022-3484
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1985.tb00835.x
Subject(s) - suppressor , periodontitis , disease , cell , population , immunology , in vitro , medicine , t cell , periodontal disease , gastroenterology , biology , immune system , genetics , cancer , environmental health
The ratio of helper (T4+) to suppressor (T8+) T cells was determined in a population of periodontitis patients and in normal subjects. Although patients as a group were found to have the same T4/T8 ratio as normal individuals, that subgroup of patients previously identified as T cell low responders to oral microorganisms exhibited a relative increase in circulating suppressor T cells. Conversely, unusually low T4/T8 ratios were predictive of low level T cell proliferative responses generated against 7/12 oral microorganisms tested. Patients with low T4/T8 ratios had significantly more redness and bleeding on probing than did those with high T4/T8 ratios, but did not differ with respect to plaque, pocket depth, attachment loss, or episodes of disease activity. These results extend previous observations concerning the relationship between the in vitro T cell response to oral microorganisms and gingival inflammation.