Neutrophil superoxide production in the presence of cigarette smoke extract, nicotine and cotinine.

CONCLUSIONS: Stable water-soluble components of cigarette smoke directly induce superoxide generation by otherwise unstimulated neutrophils, but reduce superoxide responses of cells to pathologically relevant stimuli. These data suggest potential neutrophil-mediated mechanisms by which smoking may initiate and maintain oxidative stress at periodontally healthy sites and participate in disease progression, by reducing innate immune responses.
PMID: 22607095 [PubMed – in process] (Source: Journal of Clinical Periodontology)
MedWorm: Dentistry