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Humoral Immune Response to Selected Subgingival Plaque Microorganisms in Insulin–Dependent Diabetic Children
Author(s) -
Morinushi Takanobu,
Lopatin Dennis E.,
Syed Salam A.,
Bacon George,
Kowalski Charles J.,
Loesche Walter J.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of periodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.036
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1943-3670
pISSN - 0022-3492
DOI - 10.1902/jop.1989.60.4.199
Subject(s) - gingivitis , medicine , antibody titer , titer , population , periodontitis , antibody , physiology , dentistry , immunology , environmental health
J uvenile diabetics have been shown to have an increased susceptibility to gingivitis and periodontitis following puberty. However, little data are available on changes in the microbial flora that occur at the onset of puberty. This study was performed to determine if antibacterial antibody titers to selected periodontal disease‐associated microorganisms might be helpful in revealing changes in plaque flora at the onset and conclusion of puberty. Sera was obtained from 35 subjects (ages 7 to 18 years) selected from a population of insulin‐dependent diabetics. The subjects were given a thorough medical examination which included an assessment of sexual maturation and a dental examination which included the recording of onset and magnitude of bleeding according to the papillary bleeding score. Antibody titers to A. naeslundii (AN), B. intermedius (BI), B. gingivalis (BG), F. nucleatum (FN), A. actinomycetemcomitans (AA), C. ochracea (CO) and T. denticola (TD) were determined using the microELISA. Stratification of antibody titers by age groups (≤12 years, 12 to 15 years, >15 years) revealed that titers to AN increased significantly ( P < 0.025, ANOVA) and progressively ( P < 0.05, regression analysis) with increasing age. In contrast, the titers to FN were maximal in the under 12 year group and decreased with age (ANOVA, P < 0.05; regression analysis, P < 0.05). There were no significant variations in titers observed for the other microorganisms. Stratification by sexual maturity revealed a similar progressive decrease of the titer to FN (ANOVA, P < 0.05; regression analysis, P < 0.005). In addition, correlation matrix analysis at the 95% confidence level indicated that the BI titers paralleled AN, and that the AA titer paralleled FN. While the relationship between the oral flora and diabetes is unclear, these findings suggest that there is a significant change in the oral microbial flora during puberty.