Western Society of Periodontics

Laboratory Studies

Volume Number 3, 1995

Bacterial-stimulated cytokine production of peripheral mononuclear cells from patients of various periodontitis categories

The aim of this study was to investigate a possible difference in the ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients of various categories of periodontitis to produce cytokines with potent tissue-degrading activities as a response to periopathogens in vitro. Researchers took 36 patients and categorized them into a juvenile periodontitis group (7), juvenile controls (5), rapidly progressive periodontitis (8), adult periodontitis (8), and adult controls (8). Blood was obtained from the subjects. Monocytes (MC), lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) were counted by machine. The following strains were used: Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4, and spirochetes. Immunoassays using ELISA were used for the quantification of II-Ia, IL-Ira, IL-6, TNFa and TNF. The results showed that IL-ra production in PBMC after 6- and 18-hour incubation with P.g. and Ala. in the five groups was significantly different after six hours due to a lower production of IL-Ira in the AP group compared to the RPP group. No other significant differences were seen between the five groups after 18 hours of incubation. There was a higher amount of MC seen in the RPP group compared to the AP group. The MC numbers correlated positively to IL-ra production when stimulated with P.g. but not with Ala. There was no correlation between age and IL-Ira production. There was a significantly higher number of PMNB in the JP group compared to the JC group. TNFB was not detected in any of the cultures. The authors conclude that IL-Ia, TNFa or IL-6 production by PBMC after in vitro stimulation with oral bacterial-type strains may not distinguish different categories of periodontitis. [M.C.R.]