Oral polymorphonuclear neutrophil characteristics in relation to oral health: a cross-sectional, observational clinical study

Research Summary

Oral health: The protective role of white blood cells

Scientists from the Netherlands have identified a type of white blood cell as a potential component of oral health. Elena Nicu of the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam and her collaborators collected oral rinse and blood samples from 268 healthy volunteers. Cell count, cycle stage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cellular activation levels of oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs) were obtained and compared to those of circulatory PMNs (cPMNs), known facilitators of systemic immunity. They discovered that despite a higher number of aging cells among the oPMNs, their cellular activation and ROS production levels were comparable to those of cPMNs taken from the same volunteers and exposed to bacteria in the laboratory. This indicates that oPMNs are responsive to bacterial infections and potentially contribute to a healthy oral ecoystem.