1 research outputs found
B Cell IgD Deletion Prevents Alveolar Bone Loss Following Murine Oral Infection
Periodontal disease is one of the most common infectious diseases of humans. Immune
responses to infection trigger loss of alveolar bone from the jaw and eventual tooth loss.
We investigated the contribution of B cell IgD to alveolar bone loss by comparing the
response of B cell normal BALB/cJ mice and IgD deficient BALB/c-Igh-5−/−J mice to oral infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative periodontopathic bacterium
from humans. P. gingivalis-infected normal mice lost bone. Specific antibody to P.
gingivalis was lower and oral colonization was higher in IgD deficient mice; yet bone
loss was completely absent. Infection increased the proportion of CD69+ activated B cells
and CD4+ T cells in immune normal mice compared to IgD deficient mice. These data
suggest that IgD is an important mediator of alveolar bone resorption, possibly through
antigen-specific coactivation of B cells and CD4+ T cells