Clinical and Bacteriological Evaluation of Anti-gingipain Egg Yolk Antibody

Abstract

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobe, has been identified as an important periodontal pathogen. Gingipains from P. gingivalis play a major role in not only bacterial housekeeping but also inactivation of host defenses. In this study, we investigated the effect of anti-P. gingivalis egg yolk antibody against gingipains (IgY-GP) in human volunteers for 8 weeks. IgY-GP administration did not cause a significant change in clinical parameters. However, P. gingivalis levels in saliva were significantly decreased. Further studies are needed to clarify the usefulness of IgY-GP and the clinical application for periodontal disease.