Fa. Roberts et al., QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE GENE-EXPRESSION IN CHRONIC ADULT PERIODONTITIS, Oral microbiology and immunology, 12(6), 1997, pp. 336-344
Citations number
48
Categorie Soggetti
Immunology,Microbiology,"Dentistry,Oral Surgery & Medicine
Adult periodontitis is a chronic destructive disease characterized by
an interaction between gram-negative bacteria and the host inflammator
y response. Microbial substances such as lipopolysaccharide can activa
te host cells, e.g., macrophages, fibroblasts and keratinocytes, to se
crete proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha
and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta). This study examined the hypothesis
that periodontitis tissue contains increased levels of cytokines that
promote osseous and connective tissue destruction. To test this hypot
hesis, diseased and healthy gingival biopsies were examined for differ
ences in the expression of cytokine mRNA for the pro-inflammatory cyto
kines tumor necrosis factor a and IL-1 beta and the anti-inflammatory
cytokine IL-1ra using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase ch
ain reaction and in situ hybridization methods. The levels of tumor ne
crosis factor alpha and IL-1ra mRNA were shown to be significantly hig
her in diseased than healthy tissues. Additionally, a significantly co
rrelated expression of IL-1 beta and IL-1ra mRNA was seen in all tissu
e examined. Analysis of tissue sections by immunohistochemical and in
situ hybridization techniques revealed a mononuclear cell infiltrate t
hat consisted of a higher average number of cells staining positive fo
r tumor necrosis factor a mRNA, CD14, and CD3 in the diseased than hea
lthy tissues. Although both diseased and healthy tissues expressed IL-
1 beta and IL-1ra mRNA in the epithelium, the diseased tissue biopsies
expressed more IL-1 beta and IL-1ra mRNA in the connective tissue. Th
ese results implicate the potential involvement of both the pro-and an
ti-inflammatory cytokines in the regulation of the chronic inflammator
y disease adult periodontitis.