ORAL POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES (PMN) Were obtained from 10 adult do
nors in good oral health using a method employing repeated mouth rinse
collection. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) mRNA was detected in fresh
ly obtained cells by blot hybridization of total cellular RNA with a b
iotin labeled cDNA probe. Supernates from oral PMN placed in culture f
or 3 hours contained substantial amounts of IL-1 beta measured by ELIS
A. Significantly greater numbers of PMN and amounts of PMN-derived IL-
1 beta were obtained from the same donors 2 hours subsequent to an ora
l sucrose challenge (3.23 X 10(6) vs. 1.57 X 10(6) mean PMN number, P
= 0.004; 59.80 vs. 20.05 mean pg/ml IL-1 beta, P = 0.036, respectively
). However, the elevated levels of IL-1 beta were due to the higher ce
ll number rather than to increased production by individual cells. Sti
mulation of oral PMN with recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony st
imulating factor did not enhance their cytokine production. In most in
stances, IL-1 beta production by oral PMN was dramatically greater tha
n that of their blood counterparts. These findings suggest that oral P
MN are an important source of IL-1 beta, which plays a central role in
oral immunity and inflammatory disease states.