title: Immune response in lymphocyte cultures stimulated by oral bacteria preparations.
abstract: Lymphocyte cultures were used as an in vitro experimental model to get a deeper insight into immune response to oral bacteria in periapical granulomas. Lymphocytes isolated from leucocyte concentrate were in lymphocyte cultures stimulated by antigen preparations of oral bacteria. Lymphocyte subsets that have developed in lymphocyte cultures after a week of stimulation were analysed by flow cytometry. A significant increase in expression of INF-γ molecules in CD3+ cells stimulated by antigen preparations of oral streptococci was found, compared with negative control. On the other hand we observed a significant increase in expression of IL-4 in CD3+ cells stimulated by antigens of anaerobic bacteria, compared with negative control. Our results show that antigens of oral streptococci in in vitro lymphocyte cultures induce the differentiation of T helper cells into Th2 cells and that antigen preparations of anaerobic bacteria induce the differentiation of T helper cells into Th1 cells. Furthermore, an increased expression of HLA-DR molecules on CD8+ T cells stimulated by antigens of oral streptococci was found, compared with negative control.
authors.affiliation: Institute Jožef Štefan, Jamova c. 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vardjan
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, Medical faculty Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Andreja Nataša
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kopitar
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxilofacial and Oral Surgery, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nataša Ihan
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Hren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tadej
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malovrh
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, Medical faculty Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wraber
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Alojz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ihan
keywords: Key words oral bacteria; cytokines; lymphocytes