Anti-heat shock protein 70 levels in gingival crevicular fluid of Japanese patients with chronic periodontitis.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease involving complex tripartite cross-interactions among bacterial, host and environment factors. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a protein family produced in response to stress conditions. Hsps protect cells under adverse circumstances such as infection, inflammation and disease. One of the causes of periodontal disease is thought to be an imbalance in the expression of Hsps and anti-Hsp antibodies. Hsps are classified according to their molecular weight, and one of the major ones is Hsp70. In the present study, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of anti-Hsp70 antibody in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from two gingival sulci in each of nine patients with chronic periodontitis (CP): one healthy control (HC) site with a probing pocket depth (PPD) of ≤3 mm and one CP site with a PPD of >5 mm. Anti-Hsp70 antibody levels in GCF were higher at HC sites than at CP sites. Moreover, the anti-Hsp70 antibody levels were found to increase after initial periodontal therapy at both HC and CP sites. These results suggest an association of anti-Hsp70 antibody with periodontitis.