The effect of treatment on IgG, IgA, IgM and alpha-2-macroglobulin in gingival crevicular fluid from patients with chronic adult periodontitis

With a technique for sampling, processing and analysis of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) that allows multiple constituents to be analysed from a sample collected on a filter paper strip, we have examined IgG, IgA, IgM and alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) in GCF from patients with chronic adult periodontitis. Clinical data and GCF were collected before and 3 months after root planing and scaling, and analysed to determine trends for the population. A statistically-significant decrease in the percentage of sites with bleeding on probing, erythema and supragingival plaque was observed 3 months after therapy. The mean amount of each glycoprotein in GCF decreased dramatically at 3 months. In contrast, the mean volume of GCF was virtually identical at the two evaluations. The IgG/IgA and IgG/IgM ratios in GCF were elevated when compared with human serum suggesting the preferential occurrence of IgG in GCF. Correlation of the four glycoproteins with GCF volume and with enzyme markers of the acute inflammatory response in GCF revealed a relationship between arylsulphatase (a lysosomal enzyme), fluid influx, and the passage of larger molecular-weight glycoproteins (alpha 2M, IgM) into the gingival crevice.