The effect of immunosuppressive agents on periodontal disease in man

Abstract

Established chronic gingival lessions were studies in four categories of patients. One groups of healthy subjects was kept plaque‐free (CO), while in the second group (CP) moderate accumulations of dental plaque were permitted. The third group (UH) comprised patients with uremia and in hemodialysis. A fourth group (IS) had received renal allografts and was kept on an immunosuppressive regimen. Differential blood counts and serum immunoglobin quantitation from the UH and IS groups gave mean values within normal ranges. Gingival biopsies were obtained from each subject. The connective tissue inflammation (CTI) scores were compared between the groups. Despite abundant local plaque accumulations, the UH group displayed essentially the same CTI scroes as plaque‐free controls (CO), while the IS group showed a significantly lower (p < 0.05) CTI score than the two in question. The CTI scores of the CP group (controls with plaque) were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those of the UH, IS and CO groups. It is concluded that immunologic homeostasis is important in the periodontal tissue of man.