J Korean Acad Periodontol.  2000 Sep;30(3):675-685. 10.5051/jkape.2000.30.3.675.

Prior Exposure of Mice to Fusobacterium Nucleatum Modulates Host Response to Porphyromonas Gingivalis

• Son HY
• Kim SJ
• Choi JI

• KMID: 1999915
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5051/jkape.2000.30.3.675

Abstract

Multiple periodontal pathogens sequentially colonize the subgingival niche during the conversion from gingivitis to destructive periodontal disease. An animal model of sequential immunization with key periodontal pathogens has been developed to determine whether T and B lymppocyte effector functions are skewed and fail to protect the host from pathogenic challenge. The present study was performed to evaluate immunomodulatory effect of exposure to Fusobacterium nucleatum(F. nucleatum) prior to Porphyromonas gingivalis(P.gingivalis). Group 1(control) mice were immunized with phosphate-buffered saline, Group 2 were immunized with F. nucleatum prior to P. gingivalis, while Group 3 were immunized P. gingivalis alone. All the T cell clones derived from Group 2 demonstrated type 2 helper T cell clone(Th2 subsets), while those from Group 3 mice demonstrated Th1 subsets. Exposure of mice to F. nucleatum prior to P. gingivalis interfered with opsonophagocytosis function of sera against P. gingivalis. In adoptive T cell transfer experiments, in vivo protective capacity type 2 helper T cell clones(Th2) from Group 2 was significantly lower than type 1 helper T cell clones(Th1) from Group 3 against the lethal dose infection of P. gingivalis. Western blot analysis indicated the different pattern of recognition of P. gingivalis fimbrial proteins between sera from Group 2 and Group 3. In conclusion, these study suggest that colonization of the subgingival niche by F. nucleatum prior to the periodontal pathogen, P. gingivalis, modulates the host immune responses to P. gingivalis at humoral, cellular and molecular levels.

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blotting, Western
Clone Cells
Colon
Fusobacterium nucleatum*
Fusobacterium*
Gingivitis
Immunization
Mice*
Models, Animal
Periodontal Diseases
Porphyromonas gingivalis*
Porphyromonas*