Review Article The Role of Osteoimmunology in Periodontal Disease

which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Periodontal disease is a pathological condition that involves inflammation of the tooth supporting structures. It occurs in response to the presence of bacterial plaque on the tooth structure. The host defense system, including innate and adaptive immunity, is responsible for combating the pathologic bacteria invading the periodontal tissue. Failure to eradicate the invading pathogens will result in a continuous state of inflammation where inflammatory cells such as lymphocytes, PMNs, and macrophages will continue to produce inflammatorymediators in an effort to destroy the invaders. Unfortunately, these inflammatorymediators have a deleterious effect on the host tissue as well as foreignmicrobes. One of the effects of thesemediators on the host is the induction of matrix degradation and bone resorption through activation of proteases and other inflammatorymediators that activate osteoclasts. 1