A longitudinal study of periodontal disease in patients with reduced immunocapacity.

The periodontal status of renal transplant patients on immunosuppressant drug therapy was compared with that of an age matched normal group over a period of 2 to 4 1/2 years. Gingival Index, Plaque Index, and Periodontal Destruction Index were used as measures of comparison. Over this period of time the Gingival Index of the immunosuppressed patients increased significantly when compared to the normals. There was a significant increase in the mean Plaque Index for both groups during the study period. The increase was greater in the immunosuppressed group. However, the difference in the Plaque Index for the two groups was not significant. There was little change in the Periodontal Destruction Index in both groups over time. The results of this study indicate that there is little difference in the rate of periodontal destruction between patients taking immunosuppressant drugs and normal patients. These findings, taken in conjunction with other recent reports, would seem to indicate that T cells play a minor role in the etiology of periodontal disease.