[Production of fibroblast chemotactic factors from root canal bacteria]

It is well known that periapical pathosis is one of endogenous infections caused by indigenous bacteria in the oral cavity. Therefore, interaction of host and parasite factors affect the progress of the lesion. In host factors, fibroblasts migrate chemotactically, proliferate and constitute new connective tissues at a late stage of the inflammation process. All of chemoattractants for fibroblasts previously reported are derived from the host. In this study, fibroblast chemotactic activities in bacteria isolated from chronic periapical pathosis cases were examined. Fibroblast chemotactic activity was measured by the membrane filter method using cultured guinea pig dermal fibroblasts. Fibroblast migration was activated by bacterial supernatants of 4 species among 45 species tested. This indicates the possibility that these bacterial factors as well as host derivatives such as fibronectin, lymphokine, collagen-, elastin- and platelet-derived factors, may exert an influence on the process of periapical pathosis. The supernatant from Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens showed the most intensive chemotactic activity, which were separated into two fractions by Sephacryl S-300. The active fraction having a lower molecular weight (Mw. ca. 280K) did not absorb on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and this activity was resistant to heat and proteolytic enzymes.