Association between periodontal probing depth and PF4/heparin-complex antibodies in the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)

Background: Platelet factor 4 (PF4), a chemokine released from platelets during activation, can complex with polyanions. The prototype reaction is the formation of PF4/heparin-complexes. Heparin treated patients can develop antibodies against these complexes, which activate platelets and provoke thrombotic complications. PF4/heparin-complex antibodies can also be observed in non-heparin treated patients. We have recently shown that PF4 can bind to bacteria. We hypothesized that periodontal inflammation may be involved in platelet activation, increased PF4 release, and binding of PF4 to bacteria with consecutive…