Modulation of human neutrophil adherence by oral bacteria

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) comprise over 90 per cent of leukocytes in the oral cavity. Although these phagocytic cells have primary defence roles in the gingiva, their stimulation by micro-organisms may also cause substantial tissue damage due to the release of lysosomal enzymes and oxygen radicals. Adherence of PMNs to the endothelium and their subsequent diapedesis and egress to areas of infection are considered early vital events in the inflammatory process. In this study, oral bacteria were screened to determine their direct effects on PMN activation using an in vitro method of measuring PMN adherence to Dacron fibres. Most of the bacteria investigated increased PMN adherence, indicating their potential to cause tissue damage through the release of PMN lysosomal enzymes and other products. In contrast, Bacteroides species suppressed PMNs, indicating their ability to circumvent the phagocytic cells, thus gaining a potential advantage in dental colonization. The modulatory effects of oral bacteria on PMN activation may have significant roles in the immunopathogenesis of oral disease