EXPRESSION OF MONOCYTE CHEMOATTRACTANT PROTEIN-1 (MCP-1) IN ADULT PERIODONTAL-DISEASE - INCREASED MONOCYTE CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVITY IN CREVICULAR FLUIDS AND INDUCTION OF MCP-1 EXPRESSION IN GINGIVAL TISSUES

The present study shows that monocyte chemotactic activity in crevicul ar fluids increases with severity of the disease and that a monocyte c hemoattractant, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), is express ed as the predominant cytokine of gingival tissues and their fibroblas ts treated with Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis lipopolysacchar ide (P-LPS). High monocyte chemotactic activity in the crevicular flui ds was neutralized significantly by antiserum specific for the JE/MCP- 1 protein. Marked expression of the MCP-1 gene was observed in the gin gival tissues of all adult periodontal patients tested, but not in tho se of healthy subjects. Monocyte chemotactic activity was observed in culture supernatants of human normal gingival tissues treated with P-L PS, and the chemotactic activity increased in a dose-related manner. E xpression of MCP-1 in P-LPS-treated human gingival fibroblasts was fur ther examined. P-LPS induced the MCP-1 gene expression in a dose- and treatment time-dependent manner. The MCP-1 gene product in the culture supernatant was detected as two forms with molecular masses of 11,000 and 15,000 Da by immunoprecipitation with the specific antiserum. The MCP-1 gene expression was induced in the fibroblasts treated with int erleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha, but not with interleu kin-6. These results suggest that gingival fibroblasts can participate in monocyte recruitment in gingival tissues of adult periodontal pati ents via the MCP-1 gene product and that MCP-1 plays an important role in the inflammatory reaction in the disease.