title: Phagocytosis and killing of Candida albicans of polymorphonuclear cells in patients with organ transplant of periodontal disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The easiest defence system carried out by the organism, the inflammatory response, happens with the support of phagocyting cells: the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) or neutrophils are the most important cell line acting as the first defence of the organism against bacterial agents. Previous studies have shown a correlation between a reduction of the immune function and development of periodontal disease. Furthermore, it is well known that transplant patients show a variety of oral lesions as a consequence of their therapy, in particular to immunosuppressive drugs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the phagocytosis and killing functions of PMNL in transplant patients and in patients with periodontal disease in comparison with a group of healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  PMNL, were isolated by spontaneous sedimentation from heparinized blood and centrifugation of plasma on density medium. Phagocytosis rate was expressed as the percentage of Candida albicans phagocyted after 20' incubation and phagocyting PMNLs. Intracellular killing was expressed as the percentage of yeast cells killed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not find a significant decrease of phagocytosis in transplant patients and patients with periodontal disease while these two groups of patients showed a decrease of PMNL killing activity in respect to healthy controls, an effect which was unrelated to the severity of periodontal disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that a reduction of killing activity, either spontaneous or drug-induced, would contribute to the development of periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maccarinelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Belotti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savoldi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gervasoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cocchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002176:Candida albicans; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis