T- and B-cell subsets in periodontitis

A large amount of information is available, in the medical literature, on the molecular and immunological mechanisms in which T- and B-cells are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. This review attempts to describe the most important features of the T-cell subsets and their cytokine networks in periodontitis, including the interaction of pathogens with different cell subsets and their gene-expression profiles. Additionally, the known interactions of T- and B-cell subsets in periodontitis are described. The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of the cell interactions and cytokine networks specifically involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, and models and paradigms from recent research in this area are presented. However, the review of the literature also revealed that relatively little is known about the genetic or structural factors that confer cross-reactivity of natural and/or autoreactive antibodies in the immunopathogenesis of periodontitis. Pathogens, in turn, are continuously evolving and creating mechanisms to evade immunological reactions controlled and modulated by T- and B-cells.