In Vivo Assay of Crevicular Leukocyte Migration: Its Development and Potential Applications

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Periodontology
• Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

• Neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte - PMNL) chemotaxis defects are associated with conditions like Down's syndrome, insulindependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP).
• These conditions often correlate with severe periodontal disease.
• Monitoring PMNL function in vivo within the gingival sulcus could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an in vivo technique for assessing PMNL function directly within the gingival sulcus.
• To evaluate the diagnostic potential of this assay in identifying individuals susceptible to severe periodontal disease.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel technique to measure PMNL response to chemotactic agents (casein, N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine - N-FMLP) placed in gingival crevices.
• Compared results from in vitro chemotaxis assays with the in vivo assay.
• Tested the assay on control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, as well as human subjects with periodontal diseases and IDDM.

Main Results:

• Observed atypical (double peak) and reduced crevicular PMNL response patterns in subjects with oral and systemic diseases compared to healthy controls.
• Demonstrated a correlation between impaired PMNL migratory function and the presence of periodontal disease.

Conclusions:

• The developed in vivo assay can effectively assess PMNL migratory dysfunction.
• This technique, with modifications, holds promise as a diagnostic tool to identify individuals at risk for severe periodontal disease.
• The findings highlight the importance of neutrophil function in periodontal health.