A study of B and T cells in pulpal pathosis

A study was undertaken using monoclonal antibodies to determine the types of lymphocytes present in pulpal tissues. Pulps were extirpated from teeth clinically diagnosed as normal, reversibly inflamed, or irreversibly inflamed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and an indirect immunoperoxidase technique using monoclonal antibodies reactive to pan-B lymphocytes (B), pan-T lymphocytes (T1), and helper (T4) and suppressor (T8) T lymphocytes. T and/or B lymphocytes were observed in normal pulpal tissues with T8 lymphocytes being predominant. The pulpal tissue in the reversible group demonstrated that more than 90% of the lymphocyte population were T lymphocytes, with a T4/T8 ratio of 0.56. Higher numbers of T1, T4, T8; and B lymphocytes were observed in the pulp from teeth in the irreversible group. A ratio of 1.14 of T4/T8 lymphocytes was observed in the irreversible group. A B/T1 lymphocyte ration of 1.60 suggested this ratio might be used as an index in the immunohistological diagnosis of irreversible pulpal pathosis. There appeared to be no association between the periodontal status of the teeth and the number of immunocompetent cells observed in the pulps. An hypothesis on the regulatory functions of T4 and T8 lymphocytes as well as the interaction of T and B lymphocytes and their products in the pathogenesis of pulpal disease is presented

Reaction of pulpal immunoglobulins to oral microorganisms by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Dental pulps from teeth clinically diagnosed as having an abnormal response to cold, an abnormal response to cold and lingering pain to heat, or as having responses within normal limits were placed into pulpal explant cultures. The supematant fluids from the cultures were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for immunoglobulins reactive with 16 oral microorganisms implicated in endodontic infections and one nonoral microorganism. Immunoglobulins in each, group were reactive withStreptococcus mutans, Actinomyces naeslundii Lactobacillus casei, Eubacterium alactolyticum, Actinomyces israelli, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Veillonella parvula. Low or negligible reactions were observed with the rest of the bacteria tested. There was a statistically significant (p\u3c0.05) higher level of reactive antibody observed in supermatant fluids of pulpal explant cultures from group cold than those from groups cold-heat and normal for S. mutans and L. casei. These studies demonstrate that immunoglobulins are present in the pulp which react with microorganisms that have been implicated in the carious process. The in vitro pulp explant model utilized may be important in studying the protective or immunopathological role of immunoglobulins in pulpal tissue