Real Appearance of Dendritic Cell on Failed Implant Fixture

Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered a multifunctional cell population that links the innate and adaptive immune systems. Dendritic cells have a capacity for antigen capture and presentation to T cells, which initiates a cascade of inflammatory reactions. On contrary to its importance in immunology, DCs have not been known well in peri-implantitis.A scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy examination was used to examine a fixture that failed due to peri-implantitis, and a transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the peri-implant inflamed soft tissue. The presence of a DC was suggested in both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images. Titanium elements were also detected in the fixture-attached bone with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. These findings suggested a link between Ti particles and DCs activation. The correlation between the presence of Ti particles and DCs will help to elucidate the detailed mechanism of peri-implantitis.