Presenter: Ellie Bybee
Authors: Ellie Bybee, Carlos Moreno, Claudia Freitas
Faculty Advisor: Scott Weber
Institution: Brigham Young University
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory oral disease initiated by P. gingivalis, a gram-negative bacterium, whichstimulates a chronic immune response in the oral tissue.T cells play a key role in the oral adaptive immune response, but hyperactive T cells produce inflammatory cytokines that accelerate alveolar bone loss. CD5 is a B cell and T cell co-receptor that inhibits T cell activation. There is a high frequency of CD5+ B cells in inflamed periodontal tissues, however there are not studies that look into the role of CD5+ T cells. We hypothesize that CD5KO T cells have increased levels of activation compared to WT and that CD5 is a target for periodontal disease treatment. Using flow cytometry, we measured an increase in early and late T cell activation markers (CD25 and CD69) in CD5KO T cells co-cultured with gingival or oral mucosal epithelial cells stimulated with P. gingivalisLPS. To test our hypothesis, we will analyze WT and CD5KO T cell cytokine production to determine differentiation and activation differences. We will also measure T cell RANKL production, a contributing factor to bone loss. Thus, CD5 appears to play a role in periodontal disease and this research will provide valuable insights for novel treatments.