Objectives: The purpose of this study was to document and compare the total amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines in GCF of children and adolescents and detect the changes in the expression of these mediators with age development. Methods: Thirty one children aged between 9-11 years (Group A) and 25 adolescents aged between 14-16 years (Group B) were selected from a private practice limited to pedodontics in Piraeus, Greece. All subjects were systemically healthy. Clinical examination included probing depth, presence or absence of plaque and bleeding on probing (BOP). GCF was collected by means of Durapore strips, from four sites per subject. The contents of IL-1β, IL-4 and IL-8 were measured in 224 samples by use of commercially available sandwich enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay. Results: Total amounts of IL-1β, IL-4 and IL-8 (pg/30 sec) were expressed into log scale. The mean log of IL-1β in Group A was 2.02 and in Group B was 2.61 , the difference being statistically significant (F=11.39, p<0.001). The mean log of IL-4 in Group A was 2.57 and 2.26 in Group B respectively, the difference being statistically significant likewise(t=3.99, p<0.001). The mean log of IL-8 in Group A was 3.22 and in Group B was 3.31 (t=1.12, p=0.8). All differences were adjusted for gender and bleeding effects. The two groups didn't show significant differences on BOP (x²= 1.18, p=0.27). Nevertheless, IL-1β levels were associated with bleeding sites in both groups. Conclusions: The increase of IL-1β and decrease of IL-4 levels in puberty might reflect the alterations of the endocrine system to the local expression of the immune system.

This work was supported by the Swiss Society of Odontostomatology (SSO).

Back to the Scientific Program Program
Back to the Joint Meeting of the Continental European, Israeli, and Scandinavian (NOF) Divisions of the IADR (August 25 -- 28, 2004)

Top Level Search