Figure 2.

Phagocytic capacity of monocytes/macrophages obtained from peripheral blood of control subjects (C n = 27) or with periodontitis (P n = 28) before (PB) and after (PA) the mechanical removal of plaque. The cells were incubated with S. cerevisiae sensitized with fresh human serum (opsonin phagocytosis) or with inactivated FBS (phagocytosis for pathogen-associated molecular patterns) to determine the phagocytic index (PhI) (a, d), which is the product of the phagocytosed yeasts/cell mean (b, e) by the % of cells involved in phagocytosis (c, f). Before therapy, the results showed lower PhI in the periodontitis group than in the control group for both phagocytosis by opsonins and by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (Mann–Whitney, p < 0.05); the paired analysis showed that treatment of the individuals increased the PhI in the periodontitis group (PA > PB) by the two pathways of phagocytosis (Wilcoxon, p < 0.05). The medians, quartiles, and maximum and minimum values are shown.