title: IL-17 stimulates the production of the inflammatory chemokines IL-6 and IL-8 in human dental pulp fibroblasts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate IL-17 expression in human pulpitis and to study the effects of IL-17 on the secretion of the chemokines IL-6 and IL-8 and the related signalling pathways.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of human dental pulp tissue were obtained from healthy controls and patients with pulpitis. Cytokine IL-17 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the pulp tissue was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, human dental pulp fibroblasts (HDPFs) were stimulated with IL-17. Production of IL-6 and IL-8 was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Aspects of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signalling pathways were examined by Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased levels of IL-17 mRNA were found in inflamed dental pulp tissue (pulpitis). Stimulation of dental pulp tissue with IL-17 induced the production of IL-6 and IL-8 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, IL-17 stimulation resulted in rapid activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in HDPFs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-17 may participate in pulp tissue inflammation through chemokine production and NF-κB and MAPKs signalling pathways.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000502:physiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000187:drug effects; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: IL-17; IL-6; IL-8; human dental pulp fibroblasts