[Studies of leukocyte functions in patients with periodontal diseases. 1. Neutrophil phagocytosis in patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis].

Leukocyte has been implicated in host-parasite interaction in periodontal diseases. Recent studies have revealed that neutrophil functions are depressed or defective in certain types of periodontal diseases such as localized juvenile periodontitis. In contrast, only a few reports have been provided for neutrophil functions in patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis (RPP) . The purpose of the present study was to evaluate neutrophil phagocytosis in patients with RPP. Neutrophils were obtained from heparinized peripheral blood of 13 RPP patients and 13 control subjects. The cells were isolated by Percoll (R) discontinuous density gradient centrifugation. Neutrophil phagocytosis was examined using FITC-labeled and opsonized bacteria and the number of EA rosette forming cells were also determined. Furthermore, effects of plasma on phagocytosis and opsonic activity of plasma were examined. Neutrophil phagocytosis was markedly depressed both on attachment and internalization phases in RPP patients compared with control subjects. The number of phagocytizing neutrophils were decreased and seemed to be well-correlated with the number of EA rosette forming cells. There was no differences on effects of plasma from both groups. These results suggested that neutrophil itself was intrinsically defective in RPP patients and the assessment of neutrophil phagocytosis might be important and useful for the pathological understanding of