
%0 Journal Article
%A J Ford, Pauline 
%A Gemmell, Erica 
%A J Seymour, Gregory 
%T The immunopathology of periodontal disease: links with atherosclerosis?
%J Microbiology Australia
%D 2005/09/01
%V 26
%N 3
%P 127-129
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/MA05127
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MA05127 
%X Chronic inflammatory periodontal disease occurs as a result of an inflammatory response in the periodontium which is elicited by bacteria present in dental plaque. The specific cytokines and chemokines produced by this initial response cause a T cell/macrophage dominated inflammatory infiltrate to develop in the connective tissues. If this cell-mediated immune response does not control the bacterial challenge, progression to a B cell/plasma cell lesion occurs (reviewed in Gemmell et al. 20021). A component of the specific T cell and antibody response elicited by these bacteria however, has been implicated in a cross-reactive immune response targeting host antigens on systemic endothelial cells. This crossreactivity has been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. 
