Abstract
We have estimated the levels of IgG antibodies by solid-phase ELISA to the whole cells of a variety of bacteria from dental plaque in 100 male adolescents with minimal destructive periodontitis and gingivitis. IgG antibodies were found to all the organisms tested and the levels varied to each both within subjects as well as between subjects. The levels of IgG antibodies to P. gingivalis and P. intermedia but no other organism correlated with the probeable crevice depth. The correlation with P. intermedia was shown to be probably due to a cross-reactive antigen(s) with P. gingivalis. The levels of antibodies were highly correlated with each other and to the levels of total IgG, but no significant crossreactivity could be demonstrated between diverse species. This suggested that we were measuring the general ability of these subjects to respond immunologically to a commensal flora.
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