Inflammatory polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes; orientation, chemotactic, locomotor and phagocytic capabilities of neutrophils from the human gingival crevice.

The chemotactic, chemokinetic and phagocytic capacity of neutrophils from blood and from gingival crevicular washings of the same subjects were compared in visual assays, i.e. time-lapse cinematography and an orientation assay. A high proportion of the cells in both populations was motile, but the mean speed of locomotion of the crevicular cells was lower than that of the blood cells, indicating a relative impairment of chemokinesis. The differences between blood and crevicular cells in their capacity to migrate towards and phagocytose blastospores of Candida albicans in fresh serum were not significant, though crevicular cells were slightly less efficient in orienting towards sources of chemotactic gradients of various factors. Thus there is not a major defect of chemotaxis or phagocytosis of crevicular neutrophils.