2327 Expression of LBP, CD14 and TLR-2/4 in Human Chronic Periodontitis
L.J. JIN1, L. REN1, W.K. LEUNG2, and R.P. DARVEAU3, 1University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, 3University of Washington, Seattle, USA

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the interrelationship of LBP and CD14 expression in human gingiva as well as the co-expression of TLR-2 and -4 in association with periodontal health and disease. Methods: Gingival biopsies were collected from 43 subjects with chronic periodontitis, including periodontal pocket tissues (PoTs) and clinically healthy tissues (HT-Ps), and from 15 periodontally healthy subjects as controls (HT-Cs). The protein expression of LBP, mCD14, TLR-2 and -4 was detected by immunohistochemistry, while the LBP and CD14 mRNAs were detected by RT-PCR. CD68 and CD1a were co-detected with mCD14, respectively. Results: LBP and mCD14 peptides were simultaneously detected in 91% of PoTs and 85% of HT-Ps, and in 100% of HT-Cs. LBP and mCD14 mRNAs were co-detected in 55% of PoTs, 55% of HT-Ps and 75% of HT-Cs. The expression of LBP was mainly confined to the gingival epithelium, while mCD14 was observed around the epithelium-connective tissue interface. The expression levels of both LBP and mCD14 in HT-Cs were significantly higher than those in PoTs (p<0.05). A positive correlation existed between LBP and mCD14 (r=0.304, p<0.05). In PoTs, TLR-2 was detected in both pocket epithelia and the macrophage-like cells in connective tissues; while TLR-4 was predominantly detected in connective tissues. In HT-Ps and HT-Cs, only a weak expression of TLR-2 could be found in gingival epithelia and no TLR-4 expression was detected. In PoTs, mCD14 was co-detected on CD68-labelled macrophages in the connective tissues beneath pocket epithelium as well as on CD1a-labelled dendritic cells in the epithelium and connective tissues interface. No similar expression was detected in HT-Ps and HT-Cs. Conclusions: The present study implies that inappropriate expression of LBP and mCD14, coupled with altered expression profiles of TLR-2 and -4, may be related to periodontal pathogenesis. Supported by Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC HKU 7310/00M).

Seq #250 - Periodontal Research Pathogenesis 3
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Friday, 11 March 2005 Baltimore Convention Center Exhibit Hall E-F

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