title: Role of serum cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in the association between body weight and periodontal infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of serum cytokines tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) as potential mediators in the association between body weight and periodontal infection among an adult population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was based on a subpopulation of the Health 2000 Health Examination Survey, which included dentate non-diabetic, non-rheumatic subjects, aged between 45 and 64 years, who had never smoked and whose serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were analysed and whose periodontal status was clinically determined (effective n=425). The number of teeth with periodontal pockets of 4 mm or more and the number of teeth with periodontal pockets of 6 mm or more were used as outcome variables. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-6, but not TNF-alpha associated with teeth with deepened periodontal pockets. Multivariate models showed that IL-6, but not TNF-alpha, could mediate the effect of body weight on periodontium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this population of non-diabetic and non-rheumatic subjects, who had never smoked, serum IL-6 was associated with periodontal infection. The results suggest that serum IL-6 could be one mediating factor that connects body weight and periodontal infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. tuomas.saxlin@oulu.fi
authors.forename: Tuomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saxlin
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suominen-Taipale
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leiviskä
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jula
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knuuttila
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ylöstalo
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha