LIPOTEICHOIC ACID AND INTERLEUKIN-1 STIMULATE SYNERGISTICALLY PRODUCTION OF HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR (SCATTER FACTOR) IN HUMAN GINGIVAL FIBROBLASTS IN CULTURE

Lipoteichoic acids (LTA) from various gram-positive bacteria, includin g oral streptococci such as Streptococcus sanguis, enhanced the produc tion of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (scatter factor) by human gingi val fibroblasts in culture, whereas lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from var ious gram-negative bacteria did not. In contrast, LPS induced interleu kin 1 activity in human gingival epithelial cells in culture, while LT A had little effect, LTA and recombinant human interleukin Icu enhance d synergistically the production of HGF/SF in human gingival fibroblas t cultures. Recombinant human HGF, in turn, enhanced the proliferation of human gingival epithelial cells in culture.