Chemotaxis and degranulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of sulfide.

In polymicrobial infections such as periodontal disease, the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) may have to work in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of significant levels of hydrogen sulfide. There are conflicting results reported on the chemotactic capacity of PMN under anaerobic conditions. It is not known whether PMN are able to migrate and release the contents of their granules in the presence of sulfide. PMN were exposed to various levels of sulfide and their chemotaxis and degranulation were studied when they were stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or zymosan-activated serum. Chemotaxis was evaluated with the agarose method. The release of granule markers, lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase, was evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PMN had similar capacity for chemotaxis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The migration of PMN was only to a minor extent inhibited by 1-2 mM sulfide. The release of lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase was the same under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and was not significantly influenced by sulfide. PMN seem to be very well suited to defend the tissue against bacteria under the harsh conditions prevailing in the periodontal pocket.