Jeffrey L. Ebersole

Characteristics and Utilization of Antibody Measurements in Clinical Studies of Periodontal Disease

The detection and quantitation of immune responses to infections have long been used as a diagnostic tool in medical infections. Recently, increasing evidence has supported that active, specific antibody responses to selected members of the subgingival microbiota are noted in periodontitis patients. This report describes the various specificities of this antibody as they relate to periodontitis classification and prognosis. The functional aspects of the serum antibody have come under increasing scrutiny to understand better the potential immunologic mechanisms acting in the periodontium. Data are available that describe opsonizing potential, complement fixing ability, blocking functions, and anti-toxic capacity for the antibody. Longitudinal alterations in specific antibody levels are shown to relate to infection and accompany changes in the burden of a specific microorganism in the subgingival plaque. Thus, these antibody changes could be useful indicators of altered host-parasite interactions that presage a disease-active episode. Finally, studies were designed to examine the ability of antibody to reflect the effects of treatment on the disease. The results indicated that specific antibody levels change with mechanical, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory treatments. The findings described in this report suggest that evaluation of the level and specificity of serum antibody can be a beneficial adjunct in designing and implementing clinical studies delineating the initiation, progression, and treatment of periodontitis. J Periodontol 1992; 63:1110-1116.

Application of immunoprinting for assessment of fibroblast secretory heterogeneity.

Fibroblasts are capable of secreting a number of inflammatory mediators and cytokines and may exhibit a marked heterogeneity in this capacity. The relative frequency of cytokine-secreting fibroblasts in chronic inflammatory connective tissue disorders may affect the amount of these molecules secreted locally and dictate the intensity or chronicity of the disease process. We have devised a simple, in situ immunodetection method for assessment of the frequency of actively secreting cells in adherent cell cultures. Our technique is based on the principle of immunoprinting and is coupled with an enzyme-linked immunodetection system. The methodology, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of this technique are described.

Characterization of Immunoglobulin-Containing Cells in the Submandibular Gland of the Rat after Local Immunization

The large lymphocytes which enter the blood via the thoracic duct lymph have been shown to migrate selectively into the lamina propria of the small intestine (1). These cells are presumably derived from the Peyer’s patches and components of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) (2). Recent reports have suggested that cells derived from the GALT may also “home” to other secretory tissues including the mammary (3) and salivary glands (4), It has been demonstrated that lymphocytes, in response to antigens, are recruited from the blood into the local lymph node and during this phase both antibody and nonantibody-secreting precursor cells are recruited into the node (5). Similarly, after migration of IgA precursor cells to the local secretory tissue, differentiation into IgA-synthesizing cells may occur upon contact with antigen. However, quantitative information on the induction of antibody synthesis at the cellular level in exocrine tissues (e.g., salivary glands) is sparse and is usually obtained from examination of fixed tissue sections (6). We have begun a series of studies into aspects of the secretory immune responses in the oral cavity by developing a method for isolation of mononuclear cells from the submandibular gland (SMG) of the rat.

Cross-Protective Aspects of Glucosyltransferase Antigens in the Hamster Caries Model

1) Glucosyltransferase serotypes a and g are closely related antigenically but are more distantly related to GTF of serotype c, based on assays of inhibition of total glucan synthesis. 2) Local immunization with GTF from serotype c S. mutans reduces the colonization, caries, and lesions caused by infection with the homologous strain compared with sham injected controls. 3) Local immunization with GTF of serotype c S. mutans reduces the colonization, caries, and lesions caused by infection with S. mutans of serotype g (strain 6715).