Author(s)

Marita Chakhtoura, Nada M. Souccar, Nayla S. Al-Akl, Alexander M. Abdelnoor

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Background: Periodontal disease, which affects tooth- supporting structures, results from disequilibrium between the oral micro flora and host defense mecha- nisms. It has been classified into chronic (CP) or ag- gressive (AP) periodontitis according to disease onset, localization and progression. Because of their invol- vement in generating immune responses, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles are considered can- didate genetic risk markers for periodontitis. Addi- tionally, periodontitis appears to contribute to the severity of some systemic conditions such as cardio- vascular disease and adverse pregnancy outcome as indicated by elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). Aim: The aims of this study were to deter- mine if there is an HLA-AP association in Lebanese patients, and to determine CRP levels in patients and compare them to those in healthy controls. Materials and methods: The study groups included 26 patients with AP and 39 healthy controls. HLA profiles were determined by DNA typing and CRP levels by ELISA. Results: HLA-A*30 (P-value = 0.010), HLA- B*41 (P1 = 0.012 and P2 = 0.014), HLA-DRB1*13 (P1 = 0.031 and P2 = 0.063) alleles seemed to be associ- ated with protection against AP in Lebanese patients. No linkage disequilibrium existed between alleles as-sociated with AP. Ten of 26 AP patients (38.5%) and 10 of 39 (25.7%) controls had elevated CRP lev- els. Conclusion: In conclusion, protective, but no sus- ceptible HLA alleles were detected in AP. CRP levels were not elevated in the entire AP group, and were not significantly different from controls. No linkage disequilibrium existed between alleles.

HLA; CRP; Periodontitis; Associations

Chakhtoura, M. , Souccar, N. , Al-Akl, N. and Abdelnoor, A. (2011) Human leukocyte antigen associations and c-reactive protein levels in lebanese patients with aggressive periodontitis—HLA and CRP in aggressive periodontitis. Open Journal of Stomatology, 1, 25-28. doi: 10.4236/ojst.2011.12005.