Flow-cytometric analysis of lymphocyte subsets in patients with advanced periodontitis.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 36 patients with advanced periodontitis and from 34 healthy subjects were examined using a panel of monoclonal antibodies and fluorescence flow cytometry. The absolute and relative counts of B-cells, T-cells, T-helper (TH), T-suppressor/cytotoxic (TS) cells, activated T-cells and natural killer cells were assessed and the TH/S ratio was calculated. In the periodontitis patients, the TH/S ratio was 1.56 +/- 0.62 and in the controls 1.35 +/- 0.55. This was not statistically significant. A classification on the basis of sex also did not show significant differences in the TH/S ratio. B-cells and activated T-cells were slightly increased in the periodontitis group. However, all determined lymphocyte subpopulations revealed no significant differences between the groups. These results indicate that local inflammatory reactions and immunoregulatory dysfunction are limited to the periodontium in the patients with advanced periodontitis, with no significant quantitative effects on the peripheral lymphocyte subpopulations.