Depressed helper-to-suppressor T-cell ratios in early-onset forms of periodontal disease.

Helper (CD4+)-to-suppressor (CD8+) T-cell ratios were determined by flow cytometry for 12 patients with early-onset forms of periodontal disease and their appropriate controls. When considered as a group, patients with early-onset periodontal disease showed a markedly depressed CD4+/CD8+ ratio relative to controls (means 0.92 and 1.50 respectively). This difference was significant at the 0.0015% level as determined by the Mann-Whitney test. Separate analysis of patients with either the juvenile or rapidly progressive types of early-onset periodontal disease showed both to have reduced CD4+/CD8+ ratios (means 0.91 and 0.92) relative to their controls (means 1.57 and 1.45) which were both statistically significant (p less than 0.05).