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Cells infiltrating human periapical inflammatory lesions.
Journal of Oral Pathology
|November 1, 1986
Summary
Human periapical granulomas and cysts show a high infiltration of lymphocytes, predominantly T cells. Suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (OKT8) were more numerous than helper T cells (OKT4).
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oral Pathology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Periapical lesions, such as granulomas and cysts, are sites of chronic inflammation.
- Understanding the cellular infiltrate is crucial for elucidating the pathogenesis of these lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the types and proportions of cells infiltrating human periapical granulomas and cysts.
- To investigate the T cell subset distribution within these inflammatory lesions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cell suspensions derived from human periapical granulomas and cysts.
- Differential cell counting to determine the frequency of various immune cell types.
- Immunophenotyping of lymphocytes using specific cell surface markers (e.g., OKT4, OKT8).
Main Results:
- Lymphocytes constituted over 50% of the total cells, followed by neutrophils.
- T cells comprised more than half of the infiltrating lymphocytes.
- Suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (OKT8 phenotype) were the predominant T cell subset, with an OKT4/OKT8 ratio of 0.5.
- Mast cells represented 2% of the cells; monocytes/macrophages and natural killer cells were found in low numbers.
Conclusions:
- Human periapical granulomas and cysts exhibit a distinct cellular composition dominated by lymphocytes, particularly suppressor/cytotoxic T cells.
- The findings suggest a specific immune response profile in these periapical inflammatory conditions.
- Further research is warranted to compare these results with other inflammatory conditions and to understand their clinical implications.