Abstract
Neutrophils play an important role in the state of periodontal disease. The aims of this study are to examine the relationship between periodontal diseases and neutrophil functions, and to explain the pathogenesis of a periodontal disease associated with an anomaly of neutrophil cell surface glycoproteins.
Neutrophil functions including chemotaxis, phagocytosis and bactericidal activity were examined in 95 subjects. There were no significant differences between healthy subjects and patients, with regard to neutrophil functions. However, the patients with a disorder of chemotaxis were frequently detected as having early-onset periodontitis.
The levels of LFA-1 familyβ-subunits on the cell surfaces of neutrophils in 28 subjects (11 healthy subjects, 12 early-onset periodontitis patients and 5 later-onsetpariodontitis patients) were investigated by Western blotting and flow cytometry using the monoclonal antibody against the LFA-1 family . βsubunt. The levels of expression of the LFA-1 family . A-subunit on the cell surface membrane showed no significant differences in any subject. However, the stimulation of neutrophils using chemoattractant, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl - phenylalanine, induced low levels of expression of the LFA-1 family . β-subunit in two patients, in contrast with that in the majority of subjects.
In conclusion, decreased expression of the LFA-1 family . β-subunit on the neutrophil cell surface may cause periodontal disease and the LFA-1 family . β-subunit is proposed as a unique, possible marker in a novel typing for a specific periodontal disease.
