Studies in patients indicate that B cells and plasma cells, together with osteoclastogenic factors (RANKL and osteoprotegerin) and specific cytokines involved in their growth and differentiation (BAFF and APRIL) participate in the induction of the pathological bone loss in periodontitis.
Ab-mediated neutralization of APRIL or BLyS diminished the number of B cells in the gingival tissue and inhibited bone loss in wild-type, but not in B cell-deficient, mice.