Neutrophil migration, oxidative metabolism and adhesion in early onset periodontitis

The aim of this study was to evaluate neutrophil function in patients suffering from the generalized form of early onset periodontitis (EOP). We investigated neutrophil migration in vivo and neutrophil superoxide production and adhesion in response to a variety of compounds; neutrophils were isolated both from blood and a skin experimental exudate of 15 patients with EOP and of 15 sex- and age-matched normal control subjects. No difference was found in neutrophil migration in vivo (71.2+/-16.4x10(6) and 68.8+/-10.7x10(6) PMN/cm2/24 h in patients affected by early onset periodontitis and normal subjects respectively) and in adhesion. The superoxide production in response to STZ and PMA was similar between the 2 groups, while superoxide production in response to fMLP was markedly lower in patients than in control subjects both in circulating neutrophils (5.6+/-2.2 versus 10.4+/-2.3 nmoles O2-/10(6) cells, p<0.0001) and in exudate neutrophils (16.3+/-4.3 versus 22.3+/-4.7 nmoles O2-/10(6) cells, p<0.005). In general, neutrophil function in patients suffering from early onset periodontitis does not differ from control subjects, suggesting that the overall defence function of these cells is normal. The only parameter that we have found to be different between the 2 groups is the low superoxide production after fMLP stimulation. The stimulus- and function-specificity of this defect in neutrophils from patients indicates the existence of a dysregulation of the signal transduction pathway distal to fMLP receptor and proximal to NADPH oxidase activation.