title: Porphyromonas gingivalis stimulates IL-18 secretion in human monocytic THP-1 cells.
abstract: Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major pathogen implicated in chronic periodontitis. We examined whether P. gingivalis affected the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-18 (IL-18) in macrophage-like THP-1 cells and in monocytic THP-1 cells in suspension. Live P. gingivalis-induced significant IL-18 secretion. Heat-inactivation of P. gingivalis greatly reduced the IL-18 stimulation; the IL-18 levels were similar to that observed with P. gingivalis LPS alone. Live P. gingivalis caused a cytotoxic effect that was reduced greatly by heat-inactivation. Our observations indicate that P. gingivalis specifically stimulates the production and release of the active form of IL-18, which may contribute to the progression of periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, 2155 Webster Street, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alpagot
authors.forename: Nejat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Düzgüneş
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konopka
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18