Recognition of the carbohydrate modifications to the RgpA protease of Porphyromonas gingivalis by periodontal patient serum IgG

Abstract

Periodontal infections by Porphyromonas gingivalis are associated with a sustained systemic IgG antibody response and elevations in local antibody synthesis to this organism. One of the targets of this response is a protease, RgpAcat, which is an important virulence determinant of this organism. Recently, we demonstrated that this molecule is glycosylated and that the glycan chains arc immunologically related to P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Curtis et a!., Infect Immun 1999;62:3816-3823). In the present study, we examined the role of these glycan additions in the immune recognition of RgpAcat by sera from adult periodontal patients (n = 25) Serum IgG antibody levels to P. gingivali..