LYMPHOCYTES POPULATION IN RELATION TO CLINICAL SYMPTOMS IN IRREVERSIBLE PULPITIS

비가역성 치수염의 임상증상에 따른 임파구 분포에 관한 연구

This study was designed to identify the lymphocytes present and to examine the relation between lymphocytes population and clinical symptoms of the pulps clinically diagnosed as normal and irreversible pulpitis. We recorded the history and severity of the pain and performed several clinical tests, before extirpation of vital, irreversibly inflamed pulps in routine endodontic treatment. Then the teeth were divided into two groups. Five teeth, categorized in acute symptom group, had severe spontaneous pain, particularly at night and were extremely sensitive to cold and heat. The other 15 teeth with history of mild to moderate pain and with or without cold or heat responses were categorized as chronic symptom group. Inflamed pulps were also classified into 8 minor groups by presence or absence of signs or symptoms related to the involved teeth, including the presence of pain on percussion, pain on heat and cold stimuli and the periodontal pocket depth. All extirpated pulps were immediately immersed in ultra low-temperature freezer($-74^{\circ}C$), and they were sectioned $6{\mu}m$ in thickness. Specimens were stained using three-stage indirect immunoperoxidase techniques(DAKO, LSAB kit) and monoclonal antibodies for detecting the presence of T lymphocytes(T), B lymphocytes(B) and helper(T4) and suppressor(T8) lymphocytes. Following results were obtained; 1. All the examined normal and inflamed pull) tissues had positive staining for T lymphocytes and T helper and T suppressor cells. But B cells were observed only in inflamed pulp. 2. Statistically more T and B cells were observed in acute symptom group as compared with chronic symptom group(p<0.05). 3. Cell ratio of BIT in acute symptom group were significantly higher than that of chronic symptom group(p<0.05). 4. Only B cells were significantly increased in the percussion positive group than the number of B cells in percussion negative group(p<0.05). 5. No differences were observed in the number of different cell types among other minor groups.