Maternal T-lymphocyte response and gingivitis in pregnancy.

The exacerbation of a chronic gingivitis during pregnancy was confirmed in a group of 24 pregnant patients who were observed at the 14th and 30th weeks of pregnancy and postpartum. This exacerbation occurred despite a fall in the amount of plaque accumulation and confirmed that during pregnancy some factor in addition to plaque is involved in the increased inflammation. Using in vitro methods, it was shown that during pregnancy there is a depression of maternal T-cell responsiveness and it is suggested that this depression of the cell-mediated immune response could be a factor in the altered responsiveness of the gingival tissues to plaque. However lymphocytes responses to Veillonella alkalescens ultrasonicate (a plaque antigen) were generally poor and it was not possible to demonstrate any significant difference between the altered responsiveness of maternal lymphocytes to Veillonella and those of nonpregnant controls.