Analysis of Leukocytes in Oral Mucosal Tissues

The oral mucosa is constantly exposed to an immense amount of microorganisms, while some colonize the various anatomical niches existing in the oral cavity. To deal with such a complex challenge, the oral mucosal immune system must tolerate commensal microorganisms but prevent invasion of pathogens. Such activity is likely to be achieved by a wide range of mechanisms that could be similar or different to those employed by other mucosal tissues. The dental biofilm represents a unique challenge to the mucosal immune system, and inadequate immune responses might lead to periodontal diseases and the associated adverse systemic complications. It is thus crucial to study the mechanisms by which the oral mucosal immune system maintains homeostasis, and also induces protective immune responses against pathogens. To facilitate probing oral mucosal immunity, we describe here methods allowing immunological analysis of murine oral tissues using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence techniques.