0 1993 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland Phagocytosis of bacterial strains isolated from acute den toa lveo I a r abscess

Summary. The phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leucocytes of 37 bacterial strains identified as Streptococcus rnilleri (10 strains), strictly anaerobic gram-positive cocci (10) Prevotella intermedia (6), Pr. oralis ( 5) and Fusobacteriurn nucleaturn (6) was investigated in vitro. The ingestion of S. rnilleri and strictly anaerobic gram-positive cocci was significantly greater (p < 0.001) than that of strains of Prevotella spp. and F. nucleaturn. The degree of uptake of capsulate and non-capsulate strains did not differ