| The first part of this thesis details the results from an observational study of 303 children 9-11 years of age. An immuno-checkerboard assay was used to analyze IgG levels for 18 different bacteria. Nearly half of the subjects tested positive for at least one orange complex bacteria and to A .actinomycetemcomitans. A higher proportion of females had positive IgG responses to 14 of the 18 bacteria. A significantly higher proportion of African Americans exhibited IgG responses for P. gingivalis, T. denticola, P. intermedia, P. nigrescens, A. actinomycetemcomitans and C. rectus (P<0.05). This cross sectional study indicates that a sizable proportion of young patients may be exposed and elicit an immune response to known periodontal pathogens. Recent evidence suggests that obesity and nutrition may be associated with periodontal disease. These two modifiable risk factors and their effects on periodontal disease are discussed in detail in the second part of this thesis. |
