The Immune Response in Periodontal Disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Immune Response in Periodontal Disease
IRAS ID
149159
Contact name
Shauna Culshaw
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Research and Development
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The NHS in Scotland funds in excess of £23 million per year for treatment of periodontal disease in primary care (1); the costs of secondary care, private treatment, and treatment of the sequelae are not currently available but are inevitably substantial (2, 3). Inflammatory periodontal disease, initiated by a bacterial biofilm, causes tooth loss in over 15% of the adult population. The periodontal inflammation both damages the individual’s dentition, and impacts upon their general health, increasing susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, and recently a relationship between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis has been identified. There are currently no well-defined mechanisms causing this relationship between systemic and oral health, but there is some consensus that this relationship is likely to be mediated by the immune system (4). The immune system attempts to clear the pathogenic biofilm. However, in individuals with periodontitis, an inappropriate host response fails to clear the periodontal pathogens and exerts bystander damage, causing tissue destruction. Current treatment focuses on removing the biofilm from the root surfaces. This is resource intensive, and partial or non-response, and recurrence remain common. Thus, modulation of the inflammatory response is an enticing target for novel interventions for PD. Moreover, understanding the relationship between periodontal disease and systemic disease is crucial to improving preventative and therapeutic strategies both for periodontal and systemic conditions.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/2064
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion