Affiliations: [a] Department of Periodontics, School of Stomatology of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China | [b] Key Laboratory of Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China | [c] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jinzhou Medical University, Liaoning, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Linyuan Wang, Department of Periodontics, School of Stomatology of Jinzhou Medical University, Section 2, Shanghai Road No. 49, Guta District, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121000, China. E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Macrophages commonly exist in two distinct subsets in different microenvironments: classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2). The imbalance of M1-M2 macrophage polarization is often related to various diseases or inflammatory states. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an imbalance in the expression of M1 and M2 macrophage-related cytokines in severe chronic periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 30 clinical specimens, including severe chronic periodontitis tissues (n= 15) and healthy control tissues (n= 15), were used in this study. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot methods were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage-related cytokines (inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1)) and M2 macrophage-related cytokines (arginase-1 (Arg-1) and STAT6), respectively. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage-related cytokines (iNOS and STAT1) and M2 macrophage-related cytokines (Arg-1 and STAT6) were significantly increased in severe chronic periodontitis patients. In addition, the ratios of iNOS/Arg-1 and STAT1/STAT6 in the severe chronic periodontitis group were also significantly increased (P< 0.01). CONCLUSION: The imbalance of M1/M2 macrophages exists in the pathogenesis of severe chronic periodontitis, and has a tendency towards M1 polarization. Therefore, maintaining the immune balance of M1/M2 macrophages may be a novel therapeutic alternative for the management of severe chronic periodontitis.
Keywords: Severe chronic periodontitis, macrophages, cytokine, M1, M2
