Associations of periodontal status with general health conditions and serum antibody titers for Porphyromonas gingivalis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate associations of periodontal status with general health conditions and with serum antibody titers for Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) in a Japanese population. Methods: Subjects (1,314) aged 40 years or older were recruited for the study. Their periodontal status was evaluated using the community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN). Records from general health examinations were used for the present analyses, including data on age, gender, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP); levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, and C-reactive protein (CRP); counts of white blood cells (WBC) and platelets; smoking habit; and electrocardiogram recordings. Serum IgG antibody titers for Pg fimbrial antigens (IgG.Pg.Fim.), Pg whole-cell antigens (IgG.Pg.whol.), and Aa whole-cell antigens (IgG.Aa.whol.) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The subjects were divided, according to their maximum CPITN codes, into four periodontal groups: max.CPITN-0/1/2, -3, -4, or -MS (missing sextant). Results: Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations of the max.CPITN-4 subjects who were males (odds ratio, OR: 2.03) or smokers (OR: 1.73), or who had high diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.27), high WBC (OR: 1.24), high serum CRP level (OR: 2.39) and high serum IgG.Pg.Fim. (OR: 1.17), IgG.Pg.whol. (OR:1.54), and IgG.Aa.whol. (OR: 1.19) titers. Conclusion: Significant associations between periodontal status and several health conditions were found in the adult population examined, including gender, smoking habit, diastolic blood pressure, white blood cell counts, C-reactive protein, and serum IgG antibodies to P gingivalis fimbriae, IgG P gingivalis whole cell, and IgG A. actinomycetemcomitans whole cell titers.