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Interleukin‐2, interleukin‐2 receptor and interleukin‐4 levels are elevated in the sera of patients with periodontal disease
Author(s) -
McFarlane Christine G.,
Meikle Murray C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of periodontal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.31
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0765
pISSN - 0022-3484
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1991.tb01729.x
Subject(s) - periodontitis , interleukin 2 , medicine , serology , interleukin , immune system , dental alveolus , receptor , chronic periodontitis , clinical attachment loss , immunology , gastroenterology , antibody , endocrinology , cytokine , dentistry
Three serological markers of immune cell activation, interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), soluble interleukin‐2 receptor (sIL‐2R), and interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays in 20 control subjects and 26 periodontitis patients. The experimental group comprised 19 juvenile/post‐juvenile and 7 severe generalized periodontitis patients with radiographic evidence of alveolar bone loss. Although some control sera contained immunoreactive IL‐2 (2 of 20) and IL‐4 (3 of 20), all contained sIL‐2R, the levels of which correlated well with age (r = 0.644). Mean levels of all three markers were significantly elevated in the sera of patients with periodontal disease compared to control values. However, there was a wide variation in the amounts detected; IL‐2 (0.21‐173.33 ng/ml); sIL‐2R (217.95‐1177.27 units/ml); IL‐4 (3.17‐16.35 pg/ ml), which did not correlate with either the degree of bone loss or pocket formation observed clinically. Moreover, there was no correlation between the levels of IL‐2, slL‐2R or IL‐4 for any given individual in the experimental group. The finding that only 2 of the control sera contained IL‐2 (10%) compared to 23 of the periodontitis patients (88.5%) suggests that, of the three parameters investigated, the measurement of IL‐2 could provide a sensitive laboratory test for assessing periodontal disease activity. Nevertheless, a definitive study to determine the relationship of serum IL‐2 levels to clinical parameters of disease activity will be necessary to confirm this observation. These results provide direct evidence for the systemic activation of immune cells in periodontitis, and suggest a role for IL‐2 and IL‐4 in the pathogenesis of the disease.