The Role of IL-1β and RANK-L in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Periodontitis

Aim. To establish the role of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANK-L) in combination with microbial invasion in chronic periodontitis.
Materials and methods. The clinical material was the gingival fluid of patients with chronic periodontitis (60 people) and with an intact periodontium (28 people). The content of IL-1β and RANK-L was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Markers of periodontopathogenic bacteria were isolated during real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Statistical data processing was carried out using the STATA v.14 software package.
Results. In the group of patients with chronic periodontitis, the levels of IL-1β and RANK-L were significantly higher than in individuals with intact periodontium (median 37.1 [32.9; 41.3] pg/ml versus 2.5 [1.9; 3.4], p < 0.001) and median 6.3 [4.2; 10.4] pg/ml versus 0.0 [0.0; 0.7], p < 0.001), respectively). In patients with chronic periodontitis, periodontopathogens was detected in 100.0% of the cases (A. actinomycetemcomitans – 81.7%, P. gingivalis – 76.7%, T. forsythia – 70.0%, associations – 60.0%), while in the group with intact periodontium, periodontopathogenic bacteria were isolated in only 32.1%. In the group of patients with periodontitis, the quantitative content of IL-1β and RANK ligand positively correlated with all periodontopathogens of the first order, while the strongest correlations were found with an average degree of destruction of periodontal tissues.
Conclusion. The presence of relationships between A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, and T. forsythia with an increased content of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β and the immune mediator RANK-L and the severity of bone tissue destruction may indicate a key synergistic effect of these cytokines in the inflammatory and bone-plastic events of the pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis.

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