Reactivity of IgG from explant cultures of periapical lesions with implicated microorganisms

The presence of IgG in periapical inflammatory lesions suggests that immune responses participate in the disease process. The purpose of this investigation was to study the reactivity of IgG from the supernatant fluids of explant cultures of periapical lesions with microorganisms implicated in infections of endodontic origin. Ninety periapical lesions that had been contiguous with the apex of a root were removed and maintained in explant cultures. A dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) was used to demonstrate the presence of IgG in the supermatant fluids of the explant cultures reactive with a panel of microorganisms associated with infections of endodontic origin. The percentages of reactivity by dot-ELISA follow: Bacteroides intermedius (84%), B. buccae (12%), Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis (50%), P. endodontalis (58%), P. asaccharolyticus (17%), Peptostreptococcus micros (44%), P. anaerobius (26%), Eubacterium alactolyticum (34%), Fusobacterium nucleatum (14%), and Actinomyces israelii (6%). At least one of the three species of B. intermedius, P. gingivalis, or P. endodontalis tested gave a positive dot-ELISA with 89% of the supernatant fluids from explant cultures of periapical lesions. A lack of cross reactivity of IgG in supernatant fluids from explants of periapical lesions was demonstrated for the four strains of black-pigmented Bacteroides/Porphyromonas by dot-ELISA.