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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In the March 14 issue of the ARCHIVES, Margolis and colleagues¹ reported that white blood cell (WBC) counts might be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and that it might be causally associated with CVD. Oral infection has been implicated in the proinflammatory process of CVD,² and in several crossover trials, improving periodontal health decreased systemic C-reactive protein level.^3-4 In our previous study,⁵ we also observed that our own oral infection index (Asymptotic Dental Score) was significantly associated with the highest quartile of WBC counts. Could this increase in WBC counts observed in the Women’s Health Initiative Study be an indicator for underlying chronic infection such as oral infection?

Currently, our group is investigating the relationship of coronary heart disease and leukocyte-derived proteolytic enzymes from the oral cavity including matrix metalloproteinase, and results are forthcoming. Future study results may elucidate the source of elevated leukocyte counts in . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Sok-Ja Janket, DMD, MPH; Jukka H. Meurman, DDS, MD, PhD

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Letter to the Editor: Salivary Lysozyme and Prevalent Coronary Heart Disease. Possible Effects of Oral Health on Endothelial Dysfunction
Janket et al.
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Bio. 2006;26:433-434.
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