INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA GENE-EXPRESSION IN HUMAN ORAL POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES

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.