Mycoplasma salivarium induces interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in human gingival fibroblasts

Analysis by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for cytokines indicated that whole cells, intracellular materials and cell membranes of Mycoplasma salivarium induced interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in a human gingival fibroblast cell line, Gin-1 cells. This was confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of mRNAs of these cytokines. Studies with inhibitors of second-messenger pathway indicated that a protein kinase C-dependent pathway was involved in the expression of the activity of the cell membranes. In addition, whole cells of other mycoplasmas (M. hominis, M. arthritidis, M. arginini, M. fermentans, M. penetrans, M. pirum and M. pneumoniae) tested for comparative purposes were also shown to possess the activity. Thus, this study demonstrated that mycoplasmas possess the activity to induce interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in human fibroblasts. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.