Neutrophil response and microbiological findings around teeth and dental implants

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO compare the neutrophil response, measured as b oth functional and antigenic elastase, around teeth and titanium implants a nd to relate these findings to the microbiota. The 31 patients included in the study had been treated successfully for total or partial edentulism wit h titanium implants. Crevicular fluid and microbiological samples were take n from 3 sites: 1) crevices around teeth and 2) implants in 16 partially ed entulous patients and 3) crevices around implants in 15 edentulous patients . All sites sampled showed similar degrees of inflammation assessed by ging ival index and total protein concentration The samples were analyzed for el astase activity and immunoreactive elastase. The elastase activity was sign ificantly higher in crevices surrounding implants in partially edentulous p atients compared with implants in edentulous patients. The antigenic elasta se showed no difference among the 3 sites. Gram-positive cocci were the mai n bacterial species in all 3 groups. Edentulous patients tended to have low er frequency of black pigmenting anaerobes. No correlation of analyzed bact eria and elastase activity was found between the 3 sites. This study indica tes that, despite a similar appearance of clinical parameters and absence o f significant differences in the microbiota, the inflammation around implan ts in partially edentulous patients induces a stronger neutrophil response than does the inflammation around implants in edentulous patients.