FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF LYMPHOCYTE AND CYCLING CELL DISTRIBUTION IN PERIAPICAL LESIONS

유세포 분석기를 이용한 치근단 병소의 임파구 조성 및 CYCLING CELL 분포에 관한 연구

This study was designed 1) to compare the distributions of periapical inflammatory cells and 2) to identify lymphocytes and compare the lymphocyte distribution with T lymphocyte subpopulation and then 3) to examine the distribution of cycling cell in human dental periapical lesions. From each of the twenty-five human dental periapical lesions observed one small portion was fixed, embeded in paraffin, sectioned serially and stained with HE. The periapical inflammatory cells were counted to obtain the relative concentration of lymphocyte, plasma cell, macrophage and neutrophil. The large part of each lesion was analysed using Flow cytometer and monoclonal antibodies to obtain the relative concentration of T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, T'helper cell and T suppressor/cytotoxic cell. In addition to that, seven human dental periapical lesions were examined with DNA analysis to observe the distribution of cycling cell. Following results were obtained: 1. 24 cases of the 32 periapical lesions examined were diagnosed as periapical granuloma and the remaining 8 cases as periapical cyst. Lymphocytes comprised 42.1% of total inflammatory cells in periapical granuloma and 41.8% in periapical cyst. Corresponding percentages for macrophages were 33.8% and 30.3%; for plasma cells, 15.9% and 19.0%; for neutrophils, 8.2% and 8.8%. 2. All of the periapical lesions examined had T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, T helper cell, T suppressor/cytotoxic cell. And in all cases, T lymphocytes were observed predominantly more than B lymphocytes. 3. In 2 cases of the control group only T lymphocytes were found, and in the remaining 2 cases T lymphocytes were observed predominantly. 4. T helper cells were observed predominantly more than T suppressor/cytotoxic cells in all cases of perapical granulomas. 5. T suppressor/cytotoxic cells were observed predominantly more than T helper cells in 4 cases of periapical cysts (total 5 cases were examined) and only in one case T helper cells were more than T suppressor/cytotoxic cells. 6. In control group, T helper cells were predominant in 2 cases and T helper cells were equivalent to T suppressor/cytotoxic cells in one case. In remaining one case T suppressor/cytotoxic cells were predominant. 7. As the result of DNA analysis, the average proliferating indices of the various groups examined were measured as follows: in the control group 5.45%, in periapical granuloma 6.64%, in periapical cyst 10.1%. The highest index was observed in periapical cyst.