Humoral immune response of patients with dental trauma and consequent replacement resorption

Replacement dental resorption may be a consequence of trauma and may cause dental transplants or reimplants to fail. Previously, we demonstrated the participation of the immunopathological response in inflammatory dental resorption. The induction mechanisms of the two types of dental resorption are well known to be different. The aim of the present study was to observe the immune response of patients who suffered dental trauma with subsequent replacement dental resorption. Four patients with replacement radicular resorption and four healthy individuals with no evidence of radicular resorption participated in the study. The results of ELISA demonstrated that serum from patients with replacement dental resorption contained larger amounts of IgG and smaller amounts of IgM anti-total human-dentin extract and anti-fractions of extract than did serum from control individuals. These results signal the hypothesis that dentin is immunogenic and the serological profile of patients with replacement dental resorption may be identified through biochemical analysis of their blood. Precise screening by this method may allow early diagnosis of dental resorption before it becomes visible radiographically.