Serum antibody responses of cats to soluble whole cell antigens and isolated fimbriae of feline Porphyromonas salivosa (macacae) and associations with periodontal disease

The whole cell soluble antigens of two strains (NCTC 11632 and VPB 3313) of feline Porphyromonas salivosa (macacae) were analyzed by Western blotting using serum taken from 40 domestic cats with various grades of periodontal disease. Nine strongly immunogenic protein bands (66, 52, 42, 29, 27, 23, 22, 21 and 19kDa) were selected from both strains for further study. Both strains showed a significant association between overall periodontal grade and serum responses to the 66 and 21kDa bands with significant responses across both strains to all other bands except the 52kDa band. Similarly, both strains showed a significant association between the total colony forming units and serum responses to the 66 and 42kDa bands with significant responses across both strains to all other bands except the 19kDa band. When sera from 25 of these cats were tested by Western blotting against the isolated fimbriae of VPB 3313, there was a significant association between the grade of response of cats to the 42kDa fimbrial preparation and (1) the total reactivity of the mouth (the sum of the responses to all individual whole cell antigens), (2) the total colony forming units of P. salivosa (macacae) at the premolar site, and (3) to their responsiveness to the 42kDa band in the soluble whole cell antigen preparations. These findings suggest that P. salivosa (macacae) is a strong immunogen in the mouths of cats and those cats with more severe periodontal disease have a greater serum antibody reactivity to various soluble whole cell antigens, specifically including the fimbriae of this organism, than those with less severe periodontal disease. Overall, the findings suggest that this organism may be a contributor to periodontal disease in cats.