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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Robust Ligature-Induced Model of Murine Periodontitis for the Evaluation of Oral Neutrophils
Published on: January 21, 2020
Leukocyte receptor expression in chronic periodontitis
1Clinical Oral Research Centre, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University London (QMUL), London, UK.
Background And Objective:
Microbial recognition in the periodontium through specific leukocyte receptors gives rise to the response which in susceptible individuals can lead to periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the expression of leukocyte receptors in the gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis patients and to analyse differences between diseased and control sites (sites with probing pocket depth <4 mm).
Material And Methods:
Thirty-seven chronic periodontitis patients were included in the study. Gingival biopsies were harvested from diseased and control sites and processed by flow cytometry for the determination of the expression of 16 leukocyte receptors (CD4, CD8, CD11b, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD25, CD28, CD49d, CD49e, CD62, CD71, CD80, CCR7, Ly6G and HLA-DR).
Results:
Expression of all studied receptors was higher in test compared with control sites (p < 0.005). Sampled sites with less bleeding on probing exhibited higher expression of CD16 and CD14 receptors (p = 0.020 and 0.011, respectively).
Conclusions:
This study points towards considerable differences in the expression of leukocyte receptors between diseased and control sites in the same periodontal patients.

