Serum cytokine levels in periodontitis patients in relation to the bacterial load.
BACKGROUND
Periodontitis is a local inflammatory disease that also has some systemic effects. We investigated the levels of interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-2, -4, -5, and -10 in the serum of patients with periodontitis in relation to the bacterial load in the dental plaques.


METHODS
Serum cytokine levels in patients with generalized periodontitis and healthy control groups were determined using the cytometric bead array kit. Bacterial load in the dental plaque was determined semiquantitatively by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The proportions of different lymphocyte subsets were determined in the peripheral blood of patients with periodontitis by flow cytometry. Finally, relationships between the bacterial load in the subgingival plaques of patients with periodontitis and levels of cytokines and counts of lymphocyte subsets were established.


RESULTS
Serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-10 were significantly increased, whereas those of IL-2 were significantly decreased in patients with periodontitis compared to healthy controls. Increased serum levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α in patients with periodontitis were associated with the enhanced dental plaque load with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) and Porphyromonas gingivalis, respectively. Finally, as revealed by analysis of lymphocyte populations, the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans and Trepomena denticola was associated with an increased population of CD3(-)/CD16(+) and CD3(+)/CD8(+) cells, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Certain periodontal pathogens could be associated with an increased level of proinflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood and thus increased risk of systemic diseases.
Department of Periodontology, Bernhard Gottlieb University School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Oleh
O
Andrukhov
Christian
C
Ulm
Helga
H
Reischl
Phuong Quyhn
PQ
Nguyen
Michael
M
Matejka
Xiaohui
X
Rausch-Fan
D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058491:Bacterial Load; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D048373:Treponema denticola / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma