The role of acquired host immunity in periodontal diseases

The aim of this narrative review is to relate the contribution of European researchers to the complex topic of the host immune system in periodontal disease, focusing on acquired immunity. Other chapters in this volume will address the genetics and autoantibody responses and other forms of immunity to periodontal disease. While the contribution of European authors is the focus, global literature is included in this descriptive narrative for contextual clarity, albeit many with European co-authors. The topic is relatively intense and is thus broken down into sections outlined below, tackled as descriptive narratives to enhance understanding. Any attempt at a systematic or scoping review was quickly abandoned given the descriptive nature and marked variation of approach in almost all publications. Even the most uniform area of this acquired periodontal immunology literature, antibody responses to putative pathogens in periodontal diseases, falls short of common structures and common primary outcome variables one would need and expect in clinical studies, where randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) abound. Addressing ‘the host's role’ in immunity immediately requires a discussion of host susceptibility, which necessitates consideration of genetic studies (covered elsewhere in the volume and superficially covered here).