A group of smokers and a group of non-smokers were the participants in this study. The groups were matched by age and gingival health. Oral polymorphonnclear leukocytes (PMN) were harvested from the subjects by saline mouth rinses. These PMN were tested for their ability to phagocytize latex spheres and to exclude trypan blue. Tests were performed for smokers and non-smokers on three consecutive days, with identical procedures except that every participant smoked one cigarette on the second day immediately prior to cell collection, PMN harvested from the oral cavities of smokers were less vital as measured with the dye exclusion test and were less able to phagocytize particles on each experimental day. Smoking one cigarette immediately prior to cell collection resulted in a further decrease of these parameters for both smokers and non-smokers,,

The rate of migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from gingiva around single teeth in Beagie dogs was studied. Polymorphonnclear leukocytes emanating from the gingival crevices were harvested with standardized rinses at two minute intervals. In between the rinses one of three substances was applied: endotoxin activated autologous dog serum, a cigarette smoke solution and the vehicle as a confrol. In vitro, the activated serum was chemotactic and the cigarette smoke solution inhibitory to polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration. In vivo, the cigarette smoke solution also depressed tbe gingival polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration rate. The in vivo response to activated serum was biphasic with a diEpression first and an elevation later in the polymorphonuciear leukocyte migration rate. The experiments were performed on relatively healthy and distinctly inflamed gingiva. The higher polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration rate in inflamed gingiva was affected by the test agents in a similar way as the migration rate from healthy gingiva.

No abstract