ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines play a key role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Secretion of bioactive IL-35 has been described by T regulatory cells (T(regs)) and is required for their maximal suppressive activity. T(regs) are involved in the modulation of local immune response in chronic periodontitis patients. OBJECTIVE: Hence, the present study was aimed to investigate the expression of IL-35 mRNA in chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was carried out in 60 subjects, which included 20 chronic periodontitis patients, 20 aggressive periodontitis patients, and 20 periodontally healthy controls. IL-35 mRNA expression in gingival tissue samples of all subjects was semiquantitatively analyzed using Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The present study demonstrated the expression of IL-35 mRNA in gingival tissues of all the three groups. IL-35 mRNA expression was highest in chronic periodontitis subjects (6.87 ± 2.32) as compared to the aggressive periodontitis group (4.71 ± 1.43) and least seen in healthy patients (3.03 ± 1.91). CONCLUSION: The increased expression of IL-35 in chronic and aggressive periodontitis suggests its possible role in pathogenesis of periodontitis. Future studies done on large samples with intervention will strengthen our result.
