Background: We describe a simple, non-invasive mouthwash sampling method for rapid DNA isolation to detect cytokine gene polymorphisms. In the present paper, interleukin- 1beta(IL-1B) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) gene polymorphisms were studied.
Methods: Two mouthwash samples and blood samples were collected from 11 healthy individuals. The second mouthwash sample was stored for 7 days at room temperature. Polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to identify a bi-allelic polymorphism at position +3953 in the IL-1B gene and a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in the IL-1RN gene.
Results: Our results show that the typing of these cytokine gene polymorphisms using DNA isolated from mouthwash samples did not differ from those obtained by a phenol/chloroform isolation method from EDTA anti-coagulated blood. Moreover, reliable results from mouthwash samples were obtained after storage for at least 7 days at room temperature.
Conclusions: Mouthwash can be the method of choice to study gene polymorphisms in periodontitis and other chronic inflammatory diseases.