Neutrophil chemotaxis induced by anaerobic bacteria isolated from necrotic dental pulps.

Anaerobic bacteria belonging to the species Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Bacteroides asaccharolyticus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Eubacterium alactolyticum, isolated from necrotic dental pulps, were tested for their capacity to induce neutrophil leukocyte chemotaxis. Generation of chemotactic factors in serum by whole bacterial cells and chemotaxis induced by bacterial extracts were studied in vitro by the Boyden technique. Subcutaneously implanted wound chambers in guinea pigs were used for testing leukocyte migration in vivo. All bacterial strains had a similar high capacity to induce neutrophil chemotaxis. The heavy accumulation of polymorhponuclear neutrophil leukocytes associated with clinical and experimental infections by B. melaninogenicus or B. asaccharolyticus cannot be ascribed to any extreme ability of these organisms to generate chemotactic factors.