Lytic Effects of Serum and Mononuclear Leukocytes on Oral Epithelial Cells in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

摘要

A radioisotope-release assay, utilizing 51Cr-labeled epithelial cells derived from nonkeratinizing oral mucosa, was developed to investigate in vitro cytolytic reactions correlating with re-current aphthous stomatitis (RAS). The cytolytic effects of sera and mononuclear leukocytes from patients in the early stage of ulceration were compared with those from matched RAS-negative control subjects. RAS sera induced significantly more cytolysis than did matched control sera. Heating the RAS or control sera for 30 minutes at 56 deg C abrogated their cytotoxic activity. RAS mononuclear leukocytes, like their matched controls, showed no significant direct cytotoxicity. Heat-inactivated RAS or control sera acting in concert with RAS or control mononuclear leukocytes showed no consistent cytolytic effects. However, the heat-inactivated sera of some RAS patients, when combined with autologous mononuclear leukocytes, induced significantly more cytolysis than did either component acting alone.