Antibody to collagen type I in gingival crevicular fluid.

Gingival crevice fluid (GCF) was collected from inflamed sites in 20 patients before and 6 weeks after treatment. Levels of IgG to human collagen Type I were measured in the GCF and autologous serum using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with levels in control sera. IgG antibody to collagen was detected in GCF at significantly (P less than 0.01) higher levels than in control sera, but these levels were not significantly (P greater than 0.05) different from those in autologous sera. The levels of IgG antibody in GCF and autologous sera did not alter significantly (P greater than 0.05) after treatment. IgG antibody to collagen Type I is present in GCF in the diseased and healing state.