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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

We read with great interest the recent article by Margolis et al.¹ Clearly, this study highlights the importance of further investigating one of the cornerstones of the inflammatory response as it pertains to the pathogenesis of CHD. As Cushman² points out in her accompanying editorial, one wonders to what extent the neutrophils are responsible for this predictive effect of the WBC count.

One can speculate that lowering the WBC count, or perhaps, more specifically, the neutrophil count, could potentially reduce CHD risk. Yet, how might this be accomplished? We are currently approaching this question from a more clinically "upstream" perspective. To test the hypothesis that the accumulation of nothing more dramatic than dental plaque might be capable of inducing a systemic inflammatory response in healthy young adults, we measured neutrophil counts as part of a total WBC assay, both as the plaque accumulated and in a "clean" control phase. In . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Michael J. Kowolik, BDS, PhD; Sherie A. Dowsett, BChD, PhD