Chemotaxis of gingival neutrophils: scanning electron microscopy

Gingival neutrophils, tested in the chemotaxis-under-agarose assay, were examined with the scanning electron microscope. Non-motile cells were round with narrow surface ridges. In response to the chemoattractant, zymosan-activated serum, the cells elongated and became polarized with an anterior lamellipodium and a posterior uropod. Cells flattened as they emigrated beneath the agarose. These studies show that gingival crevicular neutrophils from healthy subjects are capable of responding vigorously to external stimuli and hence may participate in the pathophysiology of periodontal disease.