T-cell Regulation of Polyclonal B-cell Activation Induced by Extracts of Oral Bacteria Associated with Periodontal Diseases

These studies were designed to examine the role of regulatory T cells in the polyclonal antibody response of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to extracts of bacterial isolates commonly associated with periodontal disease. Polyclonal antibody responses to the organisms tested were found to be T cell dependent, as are most of the B-cell activators in the human system. Functional T helper activity was resistant to 1,500 rads of irradiation. Optimal polyclonal antibody responses to the bacterial extracts occurred at a 3:1 T-cell-to-B-cell ratio, whereas pokeweed mitogen-induced responses peaked at a 1:1 ratio, suggesting a difference in T-cell regulatory influences in response to these activators. Purified populations of T helper and suppressor cells exerted potent regulatory control of the responses to the bacterial extracts. These findings support the conclusion that regulatory T lymphocytes exert a potent modulating influence over the polyclonal response to periodontally associated bacteria and may play an important role in regulating the lymphocyte response in the diseased site.