Initial attachment of human gingival fibroblast-like cells in vitro to titanium surfaces pretreated with saliva and serum.

Wound healing at the implant-soft tissue interface occurs in the presence of saliva and blood. The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate potential influence of saliva and serum on initial attachment of human gingival fibroblast-like cells to titanium (Ti) surfaces 10 x 10 mm large specimens were prepared from pure Ti, incubated for 1 h in either whole human saliva, fetal calf serum, their mixtures in proportions 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75, or buffer as control. Subsequently suspensions of human gingival fibroblast-like cells were applied in 4 separate assays to Ti surfaces for 40 min and cell attachment was evaluated by means of image analysis under reflected light microscopy. Significantly lower numbers of attached cells (p < 0.001) were found on all surfaces pretreated with saliva alone or in combination with serum. Pretreatment with serum alone showed no consistent enhancing effect on cell adhesion. These results suggest that exposure of implant necks to saliva during implant insertion or periimplantitis treatment might inhibit adhesion of gingival fibroblasts and thus indirectly support isolation of the implant by epithelial proliferation.