Interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-8 in healthy and inflamed dental pulps.
After aggression to the dental pulp, some cells produce cytokines in order to start and control the inflammatory process. Among these cytokines, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) emerge as important ones.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to analyze the location, distribution and concentration of these cytokines in healthy and inflamed dental pulps.


METHODS
Twenty pulps, obtained from healthy third molars (n=10) and from pulpectomies (n=10) were used for the study, with half of each group used for immunohistochemistry and half for protein extraction and ELISA assays. Fibroblasts obtained from healthy dental pulps, stimulated or not by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in order to simulate aggression on the cell cultures, were also used and analyzed by ELISA for IL-1beta and IL-8 as complementary information. Data obtained from immunohistochemistry were qualitatively analyzed. Data obtained from ELISA assays (tissue and cells) were statistically treated by the t-test (p<0.05).


RESULTS
Immunohistochemically, it was observed that inflamed pulps were strongly stained for both cytokines in inflammatory cells, while healthy pulps were not immunolabeled. ELISA from tissues quantitatively confirmed the higher presence of both cytokines. Additionally, cultured pulp fibroblasts stimulated by LPS also produce more cytokines than the control cells.


CONCLUSIONS
It may be concluded that inflamed pulps present higher amounts of IL-1beta and IL-8 than healthy pulps and that pulp fibroblasts stimulated by bacterial LPS produce higher levels of IL-1beta and IL-8 than the control group.
Silva
Alessandra Cecília Oliveira
AC
Biodentistry Postgraduate Program, Ibirapuera University, São Paulo, Brazil.
Faria
Miriam Rubio
MR
Fontes
Alexandra
A
Campos
Marcia Sampaio
MS
Cavalcanti
Bruno Neves
BN
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000032:analysis*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D004396:Coloring Agents; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides