Increased interleukin-1beta concentration in gingival crevicular fluid as a characteristic of periodontitis

BACKGROUND: The levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) have been reported to be higher in sites with periodontitis than in healthy controls. This may be the result of a more severe inflammation and/or constitutional differences in IL-1beta production. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the level of IL-1beta in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) is a characteristic trait of periodontitis, regardless of the degree of tissue destruction. As a secondary aim, we investigated the correlation between IL-1beta and neutrophil elastase. An untreated population was used. METHODS: GCF samples from inflamed sites in 13 patients with gingivitis (GG), and from inflamed sites with shallow (GP) and deep (PP) pockets in 18 patients with periodontitis were collected. Interleukin-1beta, elastase-alpha-1-antitrypsin complex (E-A1AT), alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), and alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2MG) were measured with ELISA. Elastase activity was measured with a specific substrate. RESULTS: The concentration of IL-1beta was significantly higher in PP than in GG, but no significant differences were detected between PP and GP. A weak positive correlation between the elastase activity and IL-1beta was also observed. The elastase activity had a tendency to be higher in PP, although no significant difference was found among the 3 groups. The concentrations of E-A1AT, A1AT, and A2MG were similar in the 3 types of sites. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of IL-1beta in GCF were increased in samples from periodontitis patients, regardless of the severity of disease at the sampled site, suggesting that the levels of IL-1beta are typical of a given patient.