Specific serum IgA titres as realistic indicators of treatment prognoses

Some patients with adult periodontitis (AP), as defined by the American Academy of Periodontology, experience better healing than others after scaling and root planing. It is well documented that AP evolves by exacerbation and remission stages and that treatment during one of these stages influences the healing of periodontal pockets. Antibodies directed against major periodontal pathogens involved in AP could be used as indicators of active tissue destruction in AP. The levels of anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) antibodies in the sera, saliva and crevicular fluid of ten patients with moderate AP were determined before and after root planing. The results suggest that testing serum IgA levels before scaling and root planing could help improve treatment prognoses.