TITLE:
Human leukocyte antigen associations and c-reactive protein levels in lebanese patients with aggressive periodontitis—HLA and CRP in aggressive periodontitis
AUTHORS:
Marita Chakhtoura, Nada M. Souccar, Nayla S. Al-Akl, Alexander M. Abdelnoor
KEYWORDS:
HLA; CRP; Periodontitis; Associations
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Stomatology,
Vol.1 No.2,
July
1,
2011
ABSTRACT: 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.