T cell proliferative responses to molecular fractions of periodontopathic bacteria.

Soluble antigenic preparations of Veillonella parvula and Bacteroides gingivalis were separated by SDS-PAGE and used after electroblotting and solubilization for in vitro lymphocyte stimulation in 13 patients with severe periodontitis and 12 controls. The cellular responses of controls and patients to V. parvula antigens were represented by four main proliferation-inducing fractions with 74-66, 52-46, 22-19 and 12 kD mol. wt. These fractions induced slightly enhanced DNA synthesis in lymphocytes from eight patients who failed to respond to whole antigenic extract. Lymphocyte samples from Veillonella whole extract unresponsive patients were also examined for in vitro proliferation by B. gingivalis fractions. Almost all stimulatory activities could be classified into five regions of 84-74, 35-31, 28-25, 17-15 and 12 kD.