Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of IL-1beta expressed in buccal cells and the polymorphisms of IL-1beta(+3953) with chronic periodontitis.
Methods: Thirty-six patients with different severity of periodontal disease and thirty-six subjects with healthy periodontal tissues participated in this study. Buccal cells and peripheral venous blood samples were collected and the periodontal status were recorded. Immunohistochemical analysis of IL-1beta expressed in buccal cells was carried out and the polymorphisms in IL-1beta(+3953) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism after extracting DNA from peripheral venous blood. Then the differences in the level of IL-1beta expressed in buccal cells and the distribution of each genotype in IL-1beta(+3953) were compared. Multiple linear regression was used to correlate the periodontal status with the polymorphisms in IL-1beta(+3953) and the expression of IL-1beta) in buccal cells.
Results: The carrying ratio of IL-1beta(+3953) allel II in severe chronic periodontitis (12%) was significantly higher than the healthy control group(0). The level of IL-1beta expressed in buccal cells of patients with chronic periodontitis was also significantly higher than that of subjects with healthy periodontal conditions (chi2 = 365.095, P < 0.001). Clinical attachment loss and probing depth correlated positively with the expression of IL-1beta (CAL, P < 0.05; PD, P < 0.01) and no correlation was found between plaque index, bleeding on probing,the polymorphisms in IL-1beta(+3959) and the levels of IL-1beta.
Conclusions: The results of this small sample study suggested that the level of IL-1beta expressed in buccal cells showed the severity of chronic periodontitis and the IL-1beta(+3953) genotype did not make the level of IL-1beta expressed in buccal cells changed significantly.