lewis-x-antigen and Periodontitis

We have earlier reported hyperreactive peripheral neutrophils in adult periodontitis, measured as respiratory burst after Fc gamma receptor-mediated activation in vitro, but we have not been able to relate this increased activity to aberrations in the expression of relevant membrane molecules. Various types of inflammatory conditions involving the gingiva should affect membranes differently. We therefore collected crevicular neutrophils from three types of inflammatory sites: (i) with and (ii) without tissue destruction in the same periodontitis patients and (iii) inflamed sites in controls with gingivitis alone and compared the expression of membrane molecules by flow cytometry. The % of positively stained cells and their mean intensities of fluorescence (IFL) were similar in the three types of sites for CD15, CD11a, CD11b and CD16. Peripheral neutrophils studied with the same markers were not activated. This was verified by similar plasma concentrations of lactoferrin and L-selectins in the periodontal and control groups. Compared to peripheral cells, the crevicular neutrophils showed a significantly lower percentage of stained cells, while the stained cells increased their IFL. In conclusion, hyperreactive peripheral neutrophils in periodontitis show the same expression of membrane molecules after migration through different types of inflammatory lesions as do normal neutrophils in gingivitis.

Topics: Adult; Antigens, CD; CD11 Antigens; Cell Movement; Female; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; Gene Expression Regulation; Gingival Crevicular Fluid; Gingivitis; Humans; L-Selectin; Lactoferrin; Lewis X Antigen; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophil Activation; Neutrophils; Periodontitis; Receptors, IgG; Respiratory Burst

The release of free oxygen radicals and degranulation was studied in neutrophils from 14 patients with adult periodontitis and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The neutrophils were activated by Fc gamma-receptor stimulation, using Staphylococcus aureus opsonized with gamma globulin. Release of oxygen radicals was measured as luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. Degranulation was assessed as release of elastase, measured with a specific substrate and as release of lactoferrin measured with ELISA. The neutrophils from the patients showed a significantly higher chemiluminescence and a slightly higher release of elastase, whereas the release of lactoferrin was the same in both groups. In contrast, the ratio between the 2 degranulation products, elastase and lactoferrin, was significantly higher in the group with periodontitis. A flow cytometric analysis of the membrane expression of the adhesion molecules CD 11a, CD 11b, CD 15, CD 16, CD 35 and Mel 14 showed no differences in the median immunofluorescence between the 2 groups. This study showed a more than 2-fold higher release of free oxygen radicals from Fc-gamma-receptor stimulated neutrophils compared with healthy controls, which indicates a specific neutrophil-associated host response in adult periodontitis.

Topics: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Cell Degranulation; Female; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; Free Radicals; gamma-Globulins; Humans; Lactoferrin; Leukocyte Elastase; Lewis X Antigen; Luminescent Measurements; Luminol; Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; Macrophage-1 Antigen; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils; Opsonin Proteins; Pancreatic Elastase; Periodontitis; Reactive Oxygen Species; Receptors, Complement 3b; Receptors, IgG; Staphylococcus aureus