MYCOPLASMA SALIVARIUM INDUCES INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INTERLEUKIN-8 IN HUMAN GINGIVAL FIBROBLASTS

Analysis by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for cytokines indicat ed that whole cells, intracellular materials and cell membranes of Myc oplasma salivarium induced interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in a human gingival fibroblast cell line, Gin-1 cells. This was confirmed by reve rse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of mRNAs of these cytokines. Studies with inhibitors of second-messenger pathway indica ted that a protein kinase C-dependent pathway was involved in the expr ession of the activity of the cell membranes. In addition, whole cells of other mycoplasmas (M. hominis, M. arthritidis, M. arginini, M. fer mentans, M. penetrans, M. pirum and M. pneumoniae) tested for comparat ive purposes were also shown to possess the activity. Thus, this study demonstrated that mycoplasmas possess the activity to induce interleu kin-6 and interleukin-8 in human fibroblasts. (C) 1998 Federation of E uropean Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.