Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the influence of the oral flora on the host'simmune mechanism.
After human periodontopathic bacterial antigens were inoculated into the inter-T cell and B cell subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes and serum antibody titer were measured proliferation and the kinetics of T cell and B cell in the site of inoculation was observed.
Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides gingivalis, Actinomyces viscosus, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Capnocytophaga ochracea were selected as test bacteria and the supernatans from their ultrasonic disintegration were used as antigens which were inoculated into Balb/c mice divided into the initial inoculation group and the booster group.
Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies, and serum antibody titers and tissue lymphocytes were measured by the ELISA method and the immunohistochemical technique using biotin-streptavidin, respectively.
Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets showed a transistory diminution in T cell in the initial inoculation group. Determination of the helper/suppressor T cell ratio as a parameter of the immunoregulatory function made clear the coexistence of a high-value group and a low-value group. Specific antibody titers showed an interbacterial group difference. Statistical analysis of tissue lymphocyte subsets did not reveal a distinct difference.
The results suggest that inoculation of a bacterial antigen causes a disturbance the immunoregulatory network.
