HEMATOLOGICAL VALUES IN JUVIENILE PERIODONTITIS PATIENTS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

In this study, clinical and hematological examinations of forty adolescent patients in 
the group (15-22) years with established clinical features of chronic periodontitis 
but without any diagnosable medical disease were done. The patients were divided 
into two Groups (A &B). Group A were diagnosed as having juvenile periodontitis 
(JP) while group B had the plaque-induced chronic periodontitis i.e. non- JP and 
were used as control. We then compared the following hematological features 
between these two groups and the expected normal values here in the tropics; 
White Blood Cell (\VBC)-total and differential, Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and the 
blood film appearance. According to the general blood examination of both groups, 
almost all the numerical values were within the normal range as compared to the 
documental normal value in Nigeria. It was therefore concluded that low 
lymphocyte responsiveness, lymphocyte dysfunction and a deficiency of neutrophil 
chemotaxis as earlier reported may be involved in the pathogenesis of JP rather 
than the numerical value of these cells. The relationship of periodontal disease to 
other neutrophil functions such as phargocytosis and bactericidal activity requires 
further investigation.