title: IL-12 and IL-18 levels in serum and gingival tissue in aggressive and chronic periodontitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-18 in gingival tissue and serum between patients with chronic (n = 18) or aggressive periodontitis (n = 12) and healthy subjects (HS) (n = 9).
  
  
  METHODS
  Gingival tissue biopsies and serum were obtained from all study subjects. The tissue was homogenized and cytokines IL-12 and IL-18 were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interleukin-12 levels in gingival tissue were significantly higher in aggressive periodontitis patients than in HS; serum IL-12 was significantly elevated in aggressive periodontitis relative to both chronic periodontitis (CP) and HS. IL-18 levels in gingival tissue showed no significant differences between the groups. Patients with CP showed significantly elevated levels of serum IL-18 compared with HS; however, the aggressive periodontitis group showed no significant differences with either the CP group or the HS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed higher levels of IL-12 in gingival tissue and serum of patients with aggressive periodontitis, and IL-18 was elevated in the serum of CP patients. The patterns of IL-12 and IL-18 are different in chronic and aggressive periodontitis; this finding suggests distinctive mechanisms of immunopathogenesis between these forms of periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunología, División de Disciplinas, Básicas, Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Hernández
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zamora-Perez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Lerma
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robles-Gómez
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mariaud-Schmidt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guerrero-Velázquez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D010520:Aggressive Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology*; D001706:Biopsy; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D010519:Periodontium / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12