Role of Infected Blood Dendritic Cells in Heart Disease Risk

Peripheral Blood Dendritic Cells and Periodontitis

The investigators hypothesize that blood dendritic cells harbor pathogens from the oral cavity in chronic periodontitis and disseminate these pathogens to atherosclerotic plaques.

To address this hypothesis, a clinical study in humans with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis has been designed. This is an interventional study involving scaling and root planing and two arms: 1. treatment with PO amoxocillin/metronidazole plus chlorhexidine oral rinse; 2. no antibiotics or oral rinse. It is expected that the antibiotics plus chlorhexidine will prevent the dendritic cell response to infection (bacteremia) elicited by scaling and root planing.

Inclusion Criteria:

• generalized moderate to severe chronic periodontitis

Exclusion Criteria:

• diabetes
• antibiotics treatment within 3 months
• treatment with steroids, phenytoin, cyclosporin, coumadin
• presence of conditions requiring prophylactic antibiotics per AHA
• cancer, HIV, hepB, lupus, prediagnosed heart disease, renal disease
• smoker