METHOD FOR MONITORING PERIODONTAL DISEASE BY MONITORING ENDOTOXINS AND INFLAMMATORY AGENTS

摘要

The present invention concerns a method of quantitatively determining the amount of bacterial endotoxin present in a periodontal pocket of a subject. The method comprises: a) obtaining a sample from the periodontal pocket of the subject; b) contacting the sample with an amebocyte lysate under conditions so as to activate an enzyme capable of cleaving a bond between an arginyl group and a nitrogen-containing group; c) contacting the activated enzyme with a substrate comprising an arginyl group and a suitable nitrogen-containing group bound to the arginyl group so as to form an amine; d) treating the resulting amine to produce a detectable product; and e) quantitatively determining the amount of product formed and thereby the amount of bacterial endotoxins present in the periodontal pocket. The invention also provides a method of diagnosing a periodontal disease which comprises quantitatively determining the amount of bacterial endotoxins present in a periodontal pocket of a subject by the method of the present invention and correlating the amount so determined with known periodontal disease-causing amounts of endotoxin.