Local immunoglobulin synthesis in juvenile and adult periodontitis

Local immunoglobulin synthesis by the gingival plasma cells in 5 patients with juvenile periodontitis (JP) was compared to that in 5 patients with adult periodontitis (AP). The peroxidase-antiperoxidase method was used with specific antisera to alpha, gamma, and mu heavy chains and kappa and lambda light chains. The following relative distribution of plasma cells in JP/AP was found: IgA 22.7/19.5, IgG 75.6/78.5 IgM 1.7/2.0, kappa 55.5/53.5 and lambda 44.5/46.5, calculated as a % of their sum, indicating that the relative distribution of the different immunoglobulin chains was similar in both patient groups. The ratio light:heavy chains was 1.78 in JP and 1.72 in AP. The ratio kappa:lambda was 1.28 in JP and 1.17 in AP, similar to the known free kappa:free lambda chain ratio in normal serum (1.2). This indicates that the excessive staining for light chains is caused by a physiological overproduction of light chains rather than a pathological imbalance in the synthesis of immunoglobulins.