Background and objective: Anti-apolipoprotein A-1 (anti-apoA-1) IgG is a potential marker of atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability and cardiovascular complications. In patients with periodontitis the presence of anti-apoA-1 IgGs in serum and their association with atherosclerosis is unknown.

Material and methods: One-hundred and thirty subjects with periodontal disease and 46 healthy subjects, matched for age and gender, participated in this study. Anti-apoA-1 IgG, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2, -3, -8 and -9 were measured in serum samples. An ankle-brachial index (ABI) value below 1.11 served as a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. Predictive accuracies of biomarkers for abnormal ABI were determined using receiver-operating characteristics curves and logistic regression analyses.

Results: Compared with healthy controls, periodontitis patients showed lower median ABI values (1.10 vs. 1.15; p < 0.0001), a higher prevalence of anti-apoA-1 IgG positivity (23.8% vs. 6.5%; p = 0.009) and higher concentrations of hsCRP (1.62 mg/L vs. 0.85 mg/L; p = 0.02) and MMP-9 (435 μg/mL vs. 283 μg/mL; p < 0.0001). In patients younger than 50 years of age (n = 66), anti-apoA-1 IgG was found to be the best predictor for an abnormal ABI (area under the curve = 0.63; p = 0.03). Anti-apoA-1 IgG positivity increased the risk of having an abnormal ABI (odds ratio = 4.20; p = 0.04), independently of diabetes, smoking and body mass index.

Conclusions: Anti-apoA-1 IgG positivity and atherosclerosis, as reflected by abnormal ABI, were more prevalent in periodontitis patients than in age- and gender-matched controls. In younger periodontitis patients, anti-apoA-1 IgG was found to be the best predictor of atherosclerosis burden.