Expression of toll-like and adhesive receptors on epithelial cells of the oral mucosa in periodontitis.

The expression of toll-like and adhesive receptors on epithelial cells of the oral mucosa changes in different pathological conditions, both local and systemic levels, in particular, in chronic periodontitis. The long-term presence of periodontal pathogenic microorganisms in the gingival furrow stimulates and supports the inflammatory process. The interaction of periodontal pathogens with epithelial cells of the oral mucosa is the first stage of the development of periodontitis. The pathological process affects the function of epithelial cells, in particular their ability to interact with representatives of microbiocenosis. Therefore, the natural colonization of normal oral microbiota on buccal epitheliocytes, reflecting the ability of epithelial cells to microbial adhesion, is a sensitive indicator of various destabilizing processes. Determining the level of expression of toll-like TLR2 and TLR4 receptors on epithelial cells also allows us to assess the functional state of cells and the severity of the inflammatory process at the level of the oral mucosa, in particular, in chronic periodontitis. In this paper, we studied the receptor-dependent reactions of buccal epithelial cells in chronic periodontitis using flow cytofluorometry and by determining the level of natural (microbial) colonization. The authors also compared these methods for determining the functional state of mucosal cells in chronic periodontitis. The results showed that in patients with periodontitis, the activity of receptors involved in adhesive reactions with the oral microbiota changed slightly and was little higher than in healthy donors. At the same time, the expression of TLRs on epithelial cells in periodontitis changed significantly. Thus, the percentage of cells expressing TLR2 significantly increased, while TLR4 decreased. Concurrently, the percentage of mucosal cells that do not have TLRs increased significantly in oral pathology. Thus, the study of TLR2 - and TLR4-expression on buccal epithelial cells is a more representative test in assessing the severity of the inflammatory process in chronic periodontitis than determining the level of natural colonization.