IMMUNE SURVEILLANCE OF THE ORAL CAVITY AND LYMPHOCYTE MIGRATION: RELEVANCE FOR ALCOHOL ABUSERS

Abstract

The health of the oral cavity is threatened by a variety of microorganisms. Impairedimmune surveillance of the oral environment contributes to the development of infectiousprocesses and tumors of the mouth. Elucidation of the physiological mechanisms that determineand control oral immune surveillance is crucial to an understanding of these oral diseases. Theability of lymphocytes to migrate is critical for successful immune surveillance. The cardinalfacets of lymphocyte migration are reviewed here in the context of the oral cavity. Onemechanism by which alcohol acts as an important cofactor in the onset and development of oraldiseases is hypothesized to be through impaired lymphocyte migration to and from peri-orallymphoid tissue.