Neutrophil migration, oxidative metabolism and adhesion in early onset periodontitis

The aim of this study was to evaluate neutrophil function in patients suffe ring from the generalized form of early onset periodontitis (EOP). We inves tigated neutrophil migration in vivo and neutrophil superoxide production a nd adhesion in response to a variety of compounds; neutrophils were isolate d both from blood and a skin experimental exudate of 15 patients with EOP a nd of 15 sex- and age-matched normal control subjects. No difference was fo und in neutrophil migration in vivo (71.2+/-16.4x10(6) and 68.8+/-10.7x10(6 ) PMN/cm(2)/24 h in patients affected by early onset periodontitis and norm al subjects respectively) and in adhesion. The superoxide production in res ponse to STZ and PMA was similar between the 2 groups, while superoxide pro duction in response to fMLP was markedly lower in patients than in control subjects both in circulating neutrophils (5.6+/-2.2 versus 10.4+/-2.3 nmole s O-2(-)/10(6) cells, p<0.0001) and in exudate neutrophils (16.3+/-4.3 vers us 22.3+/-4.7 nmoles O-2(-)/10(6) cells, p<0.005). In general, neutrophil f unction in patients suffering from early onset periodontitis does not diffe r from control subjects, suggesting that the overall defence function of th ese cells is normal. The only parameter that we have found to be different between the 2 groups is the low superoxide production after fMLP stimulatio n. The stimulus- and function-specificity of this defect in neutrophils fro m patients indicates the existence of a dysregulation of the signal transdu ction pathway distal to fMLP receptor and proximal to NADPH oxidase activat ion.