Clinical and immunological findings of two siblings in a family with generalized aggressive periodontitis.

PURPOSE: The clinical and immunological data from 2 siblings with generalized aggressive periodontitis in a family are presented.

METHODS

Peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations were analyzed by dual color flow cytometry by using monoclonal antibodies for the lymphocyte receptors CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD16, CD19, CD11b, CD11c, and HLA-DR.

RESULTS

Both patients showed a higher increase in CD11b/CD18 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation of CD11b and CD11c receptors may be important in explaining leukocyte abnormalities in the pathogenesis of the disease. One of the patients showed decreased counts of natural killer cells while the other was normal. In both patients, the authors observed a slight elevation in Ts lymphocytes.