Abstract
Endotoxin of Gram-negative organisms have a multitude of pathogenic potentials and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.
The purpose of this study was to investigate antiendotoxin antibody formation in rabbit and, furthermore, to detect the relationship between clinical findings of patients with periodontal disease and titers of antiendotoxin antibodies in their sera.
Titers of antiendotoxin antibodies were estimated by passive haemagglutination tests using the Microtiter equipment.
The following results were obtained.
1. Titer of antiendotoxin in rabbit serum was increased after serial repeated injection of E. coli endotoxin.
2. Antibody to endotoxin from E. coli 0111 strain did not show positive agglutination with endotoxin from E. coli 0127 strain.
3. Antibody in rabbit serum to supragingival plaque of patients with advanced periodontal disease reacted with endotoxin from oral Fusobacterium and showed positive agglutination in vitro.
4. Titers of antiendotoxin antibodies in sera of patients with periodontal disease were higher than those of individuals with healthy gingiva (p<0.01).
5. There were significant correlation between titer of antiendotoxin antibody and plaque index (r=0.57, p<0.01), gingival index (r=0.65, p<0.001), and pocket depth (r=0.51, p<0.01).
6. Correlation between titer of antiendotoxin antibody and the rate of hone resorption was not statistically significant.
Results indicate that endotoxin may penetrate into the crevicular epithelium to elicit immunological reaction in gingiva and may play an important role as a participant in the initiation of periodontal disease.
