Evidence of mitogenic activity in periodontitis-associated bacteria.

This study examines several periodontitis-associated bacterial isolates for the presence of mitogenic activity, as indicated by their capacity to stimulate unsensitized lymphocytes to undergo blastogenesis. Germfree mouse spleen cells responded vigorously to all of the bacterial sonic extracts tested. The kinetics and dose responses to these activators in germfree mouse spleen cell cultures paralleled those seen with the standard murine B-cell mitogen, Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. In contrast, Streptokinase-Streptodornase (Varidase; Lederle Laboratories) antigen elicited no response. Human cord blood lymphocytes also responded upon stimulation with these same bacterial isolates but failed to respond to Streptokinase-Streptodornase. The frequency, magnitude, and kinetics of these cord blood lymphocyte responses were remarkably similar to those seen with adult peripheral blood lymphocytes. However, in this and previous studies, individuals with unresponsive peripheral blood lymphocytes have been observed. Studies were initiated to determine whether these unresponsive leukocyte preparations truly lacked the capacity to respond to these bacteria or whether unresponsiveness reflected the presence of a regulatory cell population in these cultures. After the removal of the adherent cells from unresponsive peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures, the nonadherent cells were found to be responsive. Therefore, peripheral blood lymphocyte responsiveness appears to be regulated via an adherent cell population. The removal of adherent cells from unresponsive cord blood lymphocyte preparations resulted in a less consistent alteration to responsiveness. However, cord blood lymphocyte preparations unresponsive at a standard cell density were shown to be responsive at altered cell densities.