Departmental Papers (Dental)

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of this Version

4-2009

Publication Source

Oral Microbiology and Immunology

Volume

24

Issue

2

Start Page

116

Last Page

123

DOI

10.1111/j.1399-302X.2008.00483.x

Abstract

Introduction

Cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) is potentially one of several virulence factors of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, the prime etiological agent of localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP). Little is known regarding the Cdt-specific antibody response in humans. The current study is a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the toxin-specific antibody response in a cohort of LAP patients and age-, race- and sex-matched controls.

Methods

Ninety-five subjects provided a total of 692 serum samples. Sera were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to determine the titers of antibody against the intact Cdt holotoxin as well as the individual subunit proteins (CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC). Neutralization of growth inhibition mediated by Cdt was evaluated in a modified colony-forming assay using Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Results

Fourteen of the 95 subjects exhibited significant serum Cdt-binding activity. There were no differences in the percentages of seropositive individuals or in the mean antibody titers between the control and LAP groups. Binding activity was detected against each of the three Cdt subunit proteins in all of the positive samples. Neutralization of Cdt-mediated growth inhibition was detected in samples from all of the seropositive subjects (range 20–75%).

Conclusions

Cdt, a recently identified A. actinomycetemcomitans virulence factor, is capable of inducing a neutralizing antibody response indicating that the toxin is produced during natural infection of humans. The failure of a vast majority (20 of 23) of the LAP subjects to mount a significant anti-Cdt response may in part explain their relative susceptibility to the disease.

Copyright/Permission Statement

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: [Xynogala,I., Volgina, A., DiRienzo, M. and Korostoff, J. (2009). Evaluation of the humoral immune response to the cytolethal distending toxin of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Y4 in subjects with localized aggressive periodontitis. Oral Microbiology and Imunology; 24(2): 116–123.doi: 10.1111/j.1399-302X.2008.00483.x], which has been published in final form at [Link to final article using the 10.1111/j.1399-302X.2008.00483.x]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

Keywords

Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans, antibody, cytolethal distending toxin, localized aggressive periodontitis

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Date Posted: 01 March 2022

This document has been peer reviewed.