Periodontitis is considered to be a chronic inflammatory disorder. It is influenced by several environmental and genetic factors. Factors of the immune response and their genetic background have been proposed as potential markers for the susceptibility to this disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the importance of genomic variants of the potent receptor for bacterial LPS-LBP-complexes CD14 the incidence of chronic and aggressive periodontitis. Patients and Methods: In the present study 111 periodontitis patients (chronic: n=51, mean age: 48.3+10y, 31.4% males; aggressive: n=60, mean age: 41.4+9.9y, 38.3% males) and 41 control probands without periodontitis (mean age: 43.8+11y, 41.5 % males) were included. Clinical parameter including smoking status, plaque and bleeding indexes, pocket depth and attachment loss were assessed. Subgingival bacterial colonization was analyzed molecular biologically using the micro-Ident® test (Hain-Diagnostik, Nehren). We investigated genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies of the CD14-promotor SNP c.-159C>T bResults: Hardy-Weinberg criteria were fulfilled for control probands without periodontitis. Bivariate statistical analyses showed that carrier of homozygote genotypes (CC and TT) had an increased risk for chronic periodontitis (Odds Ratio: 1.6, p=0.034, 95%-CI: 1.01-2.56). Conclusions: Carriers of the homozygote genotypes CC and TT are at higher risk for chronic periodontitis. Heterozygote CT-carriers are characterised by a balanced CD14-expression and therefore moderate immune response. They are presumably better able to respond to periodontopathogens. Schlagwörter: Parodontitis, Cd14, Polymorphismus