Common Oral Diseases, Aging and Oral Immunity Ali Esra Hassan Abd1, Abbas Maha Jamal2,*, Mohammed Hussain Owaid3 1Department of Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry 2Department of Orthodontic and Prevention, College of Dentistry 3Department of Periodontics, AL-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq *Corresponding author: Maha Jamal Abbas, Email: maha_jamal2006@yahoo.com
Online published on 27 November, 2019. Abstract Background Ageing leads to immune system suppression that increases susceptibility to infection. Periodontitis triggers inflammatory response due to pathogenic biofilms formation in the gingival tissues that might lead to teeth loss. Different saliva defense proteins, like immunoglobulins and chaperokine HSP70/HSPA, play an important role in activating both innate and acquired immunity. The aim of this study was to assess the salivary neutrophils count, phagocytic activity and S. IgA level in patients with periodontitis and their associations with aging. Method A total of 24 subjects with periodontitis and 17 control subjects without periodontal disease were collected. The neutrophil count, phagocytic activity and S. IgA were calculated in different age groups. Results Significant differences for tested parameters were observed between two groups for all age categories. In addition, we found that the mean values of tested parameters were significantly reduced with aging as well as there was negative correlation between tested parameters and aging, positive correlation with gingival and plaque index also noted. Also, data showed a reduction in the neutrophils count, phagocytic activity, S. IgA level, indicating a decrease in the immune defenses in periodontitis with aging. Conclusion The data demonstrated a reduction in the neutrophils count, phagocytic activity and S. IgA level, suggesting a decrease in immune defenses in periodontitis with aging. Top Keywords Periodontitis, Neutrophils, Phagocytosis, S. IgA, plaque index. Top |