[Quantitative microbiologic studies of the sulcus fluid in patients with immunodeficiencies]

Quantitative microbiologic examinations of fluid taken from gingival sulci were carried out with patients suffering from chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL), i.e. with disturbed immune response, and with healthy subjects. The pathogen count in each case was correlated with the gingival index, the plaque index, the amount of fluid in the gingival sulcus, and the pocket depth. Patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia with gingiva clinically free of inflammation showed one to 20 times more bacterial flora in fluid from the gingival sulcus than fluid from healthy control subjects. The quantitative values tend to equalize only if imflammation is severe. If the pathogen count is considered a function of the amount of plaque or pocket depth, markedly more microorganisms/mm3 of sulcus fluid were found with CLL patients than in the control group. It therefore may be concluded that immunologic reactions contribute decisively to the causation and maintenance of gingivitis with all of its consequences and that these reactions play an important role in the destruction of pathogens found in the region of the gingival pocket.