Association between periodontitis and anti-cardiolipin antibodies in Buerger disease

Aim: Anti-cardiolipin (CL) antibodies can be induced in Buerger disease (BD), an inflammatory occlusive disorder affecting peripheral blood vessels, in response to bacteria bearing homology to the TLRVYK peptide of a phospholipid-binding plasma protein β-2-glycoprotein I. TLRVYK homologies are present in Porphyromonas gingivalis (TLRIYT) and Treponema denticola (TLALYK). This study investigated the association between periodontal infection and anti-CL antibodies in BD patients. Material and Methods: Periodontal conditions were examined in 19 BD patients and 25 systemically healthy control subjects. All subjects were heavy smokers. Serum anti-CL, anti-TLRVYK, anti-TLRIYT, and anti-TLALYK antibodies were assessed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: BD patients had a significantly higher prevalence of periodontitis, more severe periodontal destruction and increased titres of serum anti-CL, anti-TLRVYK, anti-TLRIYT, and anti-TLALYK antibodies compared with healthy subjects. The levels of anti-CL antibodies positively correlated with those of the three anti-peptide antibodies. Anti-CL antibody titres were significantly associated with the percentage of sites with clinical attachment level ?4 mm in BD patients. Conclusion: Elevated anti-CL antibody levels were associated with periodontal destruction in BD patients. Periodontopathic bacteria may serve as exogenous antigens that stimulate the anti-CL antibody production through molecular mimicry between the bacterial peptides and a host plasma protein. ? 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.