Journal of Dental Research, Vol 80, 1535-1539, Copyright © 2001 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals

ARTICLES

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and its receptors, p55 and p75, in gingiva of adult periodontitis

T. Tervahartiala, H. Koski, J. W. Xu, R. Hayrinen-Immonen, J. Hietanen, T. Sorsa and Y. T. Konttinen
Department of Medicine/invartes medicin, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland. taina.tervahartiala@helsinki.fi

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, can stimulate matrix metalloproteinase synthesis and osteoclastic bone resorption. We hypothesized that elevated expression of TNF-alpha and its p55 and p75 receptors (TNF-R) in gingival tissue might associate with periodontitis. Immunohistochemistry was used for the study of the localization of TNF-alpha and its p55 and p75 TNF-R in adult periodontitis (AP) gingival tissue, in comparison with that in healthy control specimens. TNF-alpha and p55 TNF-R were detected in sulcular epithelial basal cells and in monocyte/macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells in the AP gingival tissue specimens, but mainly in fibroblasts and endothelial cells in control specimens. P75 TNF-R was occasionally found in monocyte/macrophage-like cells in gingival tissue specimens. The percentage of TNF-alpha-containing cells was not increased in AP compared with controls (13.2%+/-6.1% vs. 12.8%+/-7.6%), but, due to the increased cellularity of AP samples, the number of TNF-alpha positive cells/mm2 was clearly increased (1621+/-663 vs. 664+/-191, p > 0.001). Thus, AP gingival tissue has an elevated expression of TNF-alpha and especially its p55 receptor, suggesting that TNF-alpha may contribute to tissue degradation in periodontitis.

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