Abstract
Previous reports suggested that the association between serum IgG subclass levels and periodontal status is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, such as race and smoking. Japanese population living in the same area may be appropriate for evaluating this association due to similar racial and environmental factors. The present cross-sectional investigation studied this association in an elderly population of 451 subjects aged, 71 years residing in Niigata, Japan. Smokers and edentulous individuals were excluded. Dentulous nonsmokers were classified into 2 groups based on the number of teeth : those with fewen than 20 teeth and those with 20 or more teeth. The percentage of sites with PAL≥4mm and serum IgG 1 levels was significantly higher in subjects with fewer than 20 teeth. A significant negative correlation was observed between the number of teeth and IgG 1 subclass levels. This data indicates that higher levels of serum IgG 1 are associated with reduced numbers of teeth in a Japanese elderly population. Longitudinal investigation is necessary to clarify the reason for this in periodontitis-susceptible individuals.
