Immunologic profile of juvenile periodontitis. I. Lymphocyte blastogenesis and the autologous mixed lymphocyte...

Studies of blastogenesis of lymphocytes in culture from juvenile periodontitis (JP) patients have been inconclusive. Experiments demonstrating differences in lymphocyte blastogenesis to preparations of putative periodontopathogens in JP and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were performed. Variables in the blastogenesis assay system recently reported were controlled which included using a range of cell and activator concentrations, incubation times of 3, 5 and 7 days, conical-bottomed microtest wells and chemical inhibitors during labeling of DNA which permits accurate assessment of lymphocyte blastogenesis. Using these modified culture conditions, stimulated lymphocytes of localized (LJP) and generalized (GJP) forms of JP patients did not differ significantly from stimulated lymphocytes of healthy subjects in counts incorporated, stimulation index, incubation time, cell concentration or activator dose required for maximal blastogenesis to bacterial preparations of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Y-4), Bacteroides gingivalis, Capnocytophaga ochraceus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Streptococcus sanguis and Treponema denticola. Unstimulated lymphocyte cultures reflecting the autologous mixed lymphocyte response (AMLR) were increased for LJP compared to healthy subjects although not statistically significant. Unstimulated lymphocyte cultures of GJP were decreased compared to healthy subjects and LJP (P less than 0.05). These observations indicate that GJP patients may have abnormalities in T- and B-lymphocyte regulatory mechanisms.