Phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes for oral bacteria

Abstract

The phagocytic activity and bactericidal capacity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) from 12 healthy volunteers were examined in Hanks' balanced solution (HBSS) with 10% heat inactivated fetal calf serum. Bacteria harvested from early log phase culture were used.
The phagocitic activity and bactericidal capacity of PMNL were higher for Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes than for S. salivarius, S. mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguis, Actinomyces viscosus, S. faecalis, S. faecium, Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans, and Capnocytophaga ochracea. H. actinomycetemcomitans and C. ochracea, particularly, were little ingested. The number of bacteria phagocytosed and killed increased with exposure time. This suggests that the phagocytic and killing activity of PMNL may be involved in the establishment of oral infectious diseases.