A 32-base-pair deletion in the CCR5 gene was previously shown to influence the susceptibility for several infectious diseases. The present study compared the frequency of the CCR5-Delta32 mutation among subjects with periodontal disease and healthy control individuals. The prevalence of the CCR5-Delta32 mutation was determined in 81 patients with generalized periodontitis and 121 healthy controls. Standardized clinical and radiographic criteria were used for the diagnosis of periodontitis for each subject. The CCR5-Delta32 mutation was identified by PCR amplification and subsequent agarose gel electrophoresis. Genotype and allele frequencies among both study groups were compared using Fisher's exact test at a level of significance of 5% (P<0.05). The frequency of the CCR5-Delta32 allele was 9.9% (16/162) for periodontitis patients and 10.7% (26/216) for the healthy controls. The allele frequencies between periodontitis patients and the control group for the CCR5-Delta32 mutation were not significantly different (P=0.801). The present study revealed no association between the CCR5-Delta32 mutation and susceptibility to periodontal disease.