Interleukin-8 and granulocyte elastase in gingival crevicular fluid in relation to periodontopathogens in untreated adult periodontitis

Background: This study aimed to determine the relationships among interleuk in (IL)-8 and granulocyte elastase levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF ) and the concomitant presence of periodontopathogens in untreated adult pe riodontitis. Methods: GCF and subgingival plaque samples were collected from 16 patients with untreated adult periodontitis and 10 healthy control subjects. IL-8 l evels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Granulo cyte elastase was analyzed with a neutrophilic granulocyte-specific, low mo lecular weight and chromogenic substrate, L-pyroglutamyl-Lprolyl-L-valine-p -nitroanilide, and the maximal rate of elastase activity (MR-EA) was calcul ated. Five DNA probes were used to detect the presence of A. actinomycetemc omitans (A.a.), B. forsythus (B.f.), P. gingiualis (P.g.), P. intermedia (P .i.), and T. denticola (T.d.). Results: Lower IL-8 concentrations and higher granulocyte elastase activiti es were found in patients than in healthy controls as well as in diseased c onditions co-infected with B.f., P.g., P.i., and T.d. as compared to health y conditions without the target species (P < 0.05). IL-8 concentrations wer e positively correlated with MR-EA levels in the periodontitis conditions c oinfected with B.f., P.g., P.i., and T.d. (P < 0.05). A wide range of IL-8 concentrations was found among 15 patients when the periodontitis condition was characterized by co-infection with B.f., P.g., P.i., and T.d. MR-EA le vels in the high IL-8 group of subjects were significantly higher than thos e in the low IL-8 group of subjects (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The present study shows that the local host-bacteria interacti ons in untreated periodontitis are diverse in terms of the intensity of inf lammatory responses measured by IL-8-related granulocyte elastase activity in GCF This might reflect different phases of the inflammatory response due to shifts in host-bacteria interactions and therefore be indicative of a r ange of periodontal disease activity levels.