Chemiluminescence of peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes from adult periodontitis patients

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Abstract
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's) constitute a primary host resistance factor against infection. This study investigated the chemiluminescent (CL) response of peripheral blood PMN's isolated from human subjects with adult periodontitis. 32 subjects were categorized on the basis of age and periodontal disease status into 4 equal groups - young healthy, young diseased, old healthy and old diseased. PMN CL was stimulated using heat-killed, serum-opsonized Fusobacterium nucleatum - a specific periodontopathic gram-negative anaerobe, and Escherichia coli as a gram-negative control organism. The results showed a statistically significant enhancement (p < 0.05) in the CL response, which was cell associated, in the young diseased subjects. This was not seen in the old subjects (p > 0.05), suggesting that in periodontal disease in young subjects the peripheral blood PMNs may be in a metabolically activated state. There was nevertheless a degree of variability between individual subjects within each of the 4 clinical groups.