GENDER DIFFERENCES INFLUENCE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN LOCALIZED AGGRESSIVE PERIODONTITIS

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Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether females (F) are at a higher risk for localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) than males (M) Background. Our group has previously reported studies on high local inflammatory markers, and systemic hyper-inflammatory response to bacterial endotoxin in patients with localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP). Because 67% of our LAP cohort is composed of females, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether females (F) are at a higher risk for LAP than males (M) by assessing the disease severity as well as local and systemic inflammatory response in patients with LAP. Methods. A cohort of 82 African-American participants (27 M and 55 F) were diagnosed with LAP included in this study. Peripheral blood samples and gingival-crevicular-fluid (GCF) from diseased and healthy sites were collected. Whole blood was stimulated with ultrapure P.gingivalis (Pg) and E.coli (Ec) LPS for 24h. Fluorescence kits were used to detect and quantify 14 cyto/chemokines in GCF and serum. Results. No significant differences were observed between M and F for clinical parameters and for the majority of cyto/chemokines analyses. Significant differences between GCF from healthy and diseased sites were found in M for IL1², IL10 and MIP1± and in F for IL1², IL6, and IL10 (p < 0.05). Additionally, F presented higher Pg induced levels of Eotaxin and Ec induced levels of eotaxin, IFN³, and IP10. Unstimulated levels of IL6 in the serum were also higher in F (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Although no differences were found between the genders in local inflammatory response and the severity of clinical parameters of LAP in this cohort, females presented a higher systemic inflammatory response to LPS than males. Grants. Supported by NIH/NIDCRR01DE019456