Natural immunity in recurrent aphthous ulceration

Abstract

In the present study we investigated immunophenotypes of peripheral blood lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cell activity as well as spontaneous migration, ingestion, digestion and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) as effector functions of polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMNs) in 51 patients with acute stage recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU), during remission, and 47 age-matched healthy individuals. Statistically significant lower B-lymphocyte (CD19) values were found between patients with acute RAU, and those during the remission period (P<0.001), when compared with those of the controls. Total T-lymphocyte (CD3) percentages were lower in patients with RAU, and also during the remission period, when compared with the controls (P<0.001). The percentages of CD4 lymphocytes were significantly lower in patients with RAU in comparison with those of the controls (P<0.001). T-suppressor cells (CD8) were unchanged in all three groups of participants. Significantly lower spontaneous migration and ingestion values were found in patients with acute RAU, when compared with those of the controls, and during the remission period (P<0.001). Digestion values differed insignificantly between the patients with acute RAU and during the remission period. During the remission period, digestion values were significantly elevated when compared with those of the controls (P<0.05). ADCC values were lower during the remission period (P<0.001), when compared with the values during acute RAU and with those of the controls. Significantly depressed NK activity (P<0.001) was observed in patients with acute RAU, when compared with that of the controls. During the remission period, values of NK activity were also lower (P<0.001) when compared with those of the controls. These results suggest either a specific or nonspecific immunological disorder in patients with RAU.

Innate immune system is implicated in recurrent aphthous ulcer pathogenesis

“…Tissue‐specific autoimmunity is one of the most probable mechanisms of RAU development, with possible activation of Th1 lymphocyte profile of cytokine production (8, 14–17). There is also evidence suggesting that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) play a role in the pathogenesis of RAU (18–21).…”

O papel da imunofluorescência direta na fisiopatologia e no diagnóstico diferencial da estomatite aftóide recorrente

“…4 , who were also unable to prove DIf positiveness in patients with RAS. These authors do not agree with the statement that RAS is a humoral response, they believe it is an ulcerative process triggered by cellular immunity.…”

“…Lehner 15 and Sistig et al 4 advocate the thesis that RAS's physiopathology is associated with a disorder in immunomodulation. These authors did not find positiveness in the direct immunofluorescence test (DIf) in patients The patients signed an informed consent form and the study was approved by the institution's ethics committee under protocol number 876/04, as part of a larger project to investigate clinical, laboratorial and genetic aspects of patients with RAS.…”

“…The main physiopathological hypothesis for the origin of RAS lesions are associated with humoral or cellular immunity 4,[15][16][17][18][19][20] . Most of the studies aforementioned, among other exams, used direct immunofluorescence (DIf) in order to try to prove the presence or absence of immunocomplex deposits on the mucosa of patients with RAS.…”

Tratamento da estomatite aftosa recorrente: uma revisão integrativa da literatura

“…e desnecessária, o prolongamento do tempo de vida de um PMN ou o aumento da sua capacidade bactericida podem produzir substâncias tóxicas para o tecido sadio [6][7][8] . Adicionalmente, estudos patológicos de úlceras aftosas têm revelado que o TNF-α está presente principalmente em macrófagos/monócitos e linfócitos contidos no infiltrado inflamatório mononuclear que está presente nessas lesões 9 .…”