THE EFFECT OF DENTAL ALLOYS ON MOUSE LYMPHOCYTE SUBPOPULATIONS

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of nickel-con taining alloys on lymphocyte subsets in an experimental setting. Plate s of alloys containing nickel (Ceramalloy, Talladium, Cerillium, Rexil lium) or gold (Orion) were implanted subcutaneously into mice. The lev els of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocyte Subpopulations and of Smig(+) B lymphocytes were determined at various intervals following implantatio n, using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. No changes were det ected in the proportion of the lymphocyte subsets tested. One month af ter implantation, the mean fluorescence intensity of CD4, CD8 or Smig, in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of the nickel alloy-implant ed animals, was significantly higher than that prior to this procedure . Only a mild increase in CD4 and CDS was noted after implantation of the gold alloy. The observed effects are most likely attributable to t he surgical trauma, and do not indicate that nickel-containing dental alloys influence T cell subsets in this murine model.