BACKGROUND: Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β) released by peripheral blood leukocyte medium (PBLM), isolated from chronic periodontitis patients (P) before therapy and matched to controls, were determined in the presence or absence of non-opsonized Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this investigation, 26 patients with untreated, severe, generalized, chronic periodontitis and 26 healthy subjects (H) were enrolled. Periodontal status was assessed by measuring bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing pocket depth (PPD), and Ramfjord index (PDI). The levels of IL-1β (µg/ml) were assayed by a standard Immunoenzymetric Assay Diasource IL-1β ELISA kit in PBLM.

RESULTS: Our study showed that the values of IL-1β levels in PBLM of the P group (stimulated with non-opsonized E. coli and S. aureus) were significantly higher than in the analogous medium of H group subjects (P<0.001). All correlations between the cytokine levels of IL-1β in the samples of PBLM (stimulated with non-opsonized E. coli and S. aureus) and clinical parameters such as BOP, PPD, CAL, and PDI were significantly higher in the group of patients with periodontitis.

CONCLUSIONS: Levels of IL-1β secreted by leukocytes may help measure severe, generalized, chronic periodontitis, and can be predictive of future detrimental clinical sequelae associated with chronic periodontitis.

Keywords: Chronic Periodontitis - microbiology, Case-Control Studies, Cytokines - immunology, Escherichia coli - isolation & purification, Interleukin-1beta - immunology, Leukocytes - metabolism, Periodontal Index, Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification