Changes in Gingival Crevicular Fluid Interleukin-4 and Interferon-gamma in Patients with Chronic Periodontitis Before and After Periodontal Initial Therapy

• Main Authors: Chi-Cheng Tsai, Chia-Hsin Ku, Ya-Ping Ho, Kun-Yen Ho, Yi-Min Wu, Chun-Cheng Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2007-01-01
• Series: Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
• Subjects: gingival crevicular fluid; interferon-gamma; interleukin-4; nonsurgical periodontal therapy; periodontitis
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1607551X09703675

Cytokines are pivotal to the immune response of chronic periodontitis. The present study investigated the changes of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in patients with chronic periodontitis before and after initial nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). GCF was collected from 17 patients by means of Periopaper® at baseline and 1 month after NSPT. IL-4 and IFN-γ were measured by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. NSPT resulted in decreased total amount of IFN-γ, increased concentration of IL-4, and increased ratio of IL-4 to IFN-γ levels. We suggest that a low ratio of IL-4 to IFN-γ levels might be involved in the destruction (diseased sites) of periodontal tissue, whereas an increased ratio of IL-4 to IFN-γ levels could be related to the improvement of clinical periodontal health.