Blocking Proinflammatory Cytokine Release Modulates Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Response to Porphyromonas gingivalis

Background: Chronic periodontitis (CP) is an inflammatory disease in which cytokines play a major role in the progression of disease. Anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 4 [IL-4] and IL-10) were reported to be absent or reduced in diseased periodontal tissues, suggesting an imbalance between the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. This study tests the hypothesis that there is cellular crosstalk mediated by proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and that blocking proinflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] and IL-1) production will enhance antiinflammatory cytokine (IL-4 and IL-10) production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in response to Porphyromonas gingivalis.