Immunoglobulins in periapical exudates of infected root canals: correlations with the clinical findings of the involved teeth.

This study quantified the concentrations of IgG and IgA in the periapical exudates obtained from 69 single-rooted teeth using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and examined their correlation with clinical findings of the involved teeth. Changes in the levels of these immunoglobulins during root canal treatment were also investigated. The average levels of IgG (85.61 mg/ml) was significantly higher than that of IgA (0.65 mg/ml) (P < 0.001). The exudates from the canals with large lesions (> or = 1 cm in diameter on radiographs) showed significantly higher IgG and IgA levels than small lesions (< 1 cm in diameter) (P < 0.01). The tendency for these to be a decrease in the levels of IgG and IgA was observed following the root canal treatment. These observations suggest that IgG and IgA are involved in the immunopathogenesis of periapical lesions.