Host responses in periodontal diseases: current concepts.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Periodontology
• Pathogenesis of Periodontal Disease

Background:

• Periodontal diseases stem from bacterial infections triggering inflammatory host responses.
• Understanding immunobiology, including immune cells, molecules, and effector systems, is crucial for comprehending periodontal disease pathogenesis.
• Knowledge of mediators like matrix metalloproteinases and cytokines is advancing the understanding of disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of immunobiology in periodontal disease.
• To explore potential diagnostic tests based on host response measures.
• To identify avenues for predicting host susceptibility and assessing disease status.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on immunobiology and periodontal disease.
• Analysis of immune cells, cell surface molecules, effector systems, and mediators involved.
• Exploration of diagnostic markers related to host response, inflammation regulation, and genetic factors.

Main Results:

• Host immune responses, involving cells like neutrophils and molecules like antibodies and complement, are critical in periodontal disease.
• Mediators such as matrix metalloproteinases, cytokines, and prostaglandins are implicated in tissue destruction.
• Potential diagnostic indicators include tissue products, neutrophil function, anti-inflammatory factors (e.g., TGF-beta), and genetic markers (e.g., HLA associations).

Conclusions:

• Host response measures offer significant potential for predicting susceptibility to periodontal disease.
• Diagnostic tests may combine host response indicators with microbial diagnostics for comprehensive assessment.
• Further research into immune mechanisms and host factors can lead to improved diagnostic and prognostic tools for periodontal diseases.