Clinical and experimental immunology
-
Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Sep 2005
CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression by human gingival fibroblasts in periodontal disease.
CXCL12 is a CXC chemokine that is related to lymphocyte infiltration and angiogenesis in inflammatory sites such as arthritis. However, the expression and roles of CXCL12 in periodontal disease are uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of CXCL12 and its receptor, CXCR4, in periodontal tissue and to investigate the properties of CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression by human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). ⋯ Our results demonstrated that CXCL12 might be related to CXCR4+ cells infiltration and angiogenesis both in normal periodontal tissues and periodontal diseased tissue. P. gingivalis, a known periodontal pathogen, inhibits the production of CXCL12 and the expression of CXCR4 by HGF. This fact means that P. gingivalis may inhibit CXCR4+ cells infiltration and neovascularization in periodontal tissue and escape from the immune response.