T Cell Response to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

摘要

The association between Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) and aggressive periodontitis is well documented. Although the humoral immune response to Aa has been thoroughly studied, little is known concerning the Aa proteins that elicit a T cell response. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are known to be immunodominant in some oral and non-oral diseases. The purpose of our study was to characterize more fully the T cell response to the Aa HSPs GroEL, GroES, and DNAJ in mice using T cell hybridoma technology and in human aggressive periodontitis patients via stimulation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes (PBCs) to individual Aa HSPs. Genes coding Aa HSPs GroEL, GroES, and DNAJ were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned into a prokaryotic expression vector, and recombinant proteins were produced. These HSPs were then screened for the ability to stimulate Aa-specific murine T cell hybridomas previously generated from orally inoculated BALB/c and C57B1/6 mice. In addition, the recombinant HSPs were tested for the ability to either stimulate or inhibit a proliferative response of PBCs from patients diagnosed with aggressive periodontitis. Aa infection in the human subjects was assessed by PCR analysis of subgingival plaque samples using Aa-specific primers.