Issaranggun Na Ayuthaya Benjar, Everts Vincent, Pavasant Prasit
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Research Unit of Mineralized Tissue, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Eur J Oral Sci. 2018 Apr;126(2):75-83. doi: 10.1111/eos.12405. Epub 2018 Feb 7.
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is an inflammatory cytokine that promotes the response of the immune system. This cytokine has been implicated as a potent stimulator of several diseases characterized by inflammatory-induced bone destruction, such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Yet, the exact role of IL-12 in the development and progress of periodontitis has not been clarified. Several studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between the level of IL-12 and the severity of periodontal destruction. Deletion of IL-12 in mice with periodontitis significantly suppressed the level of bone destruction. Interestingly, next to a role in modulating the pathogenesis, IL-12 also has immunological-regulatory properties. This cytokine induces expression of immunosuppressive molecules, such as indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Thus, these findings suggest both negative and positive influences of IL-12 in periodontal disease. It is currently proposed that the diversity of action of cytokines is a molecular key which regulates biological development and homeostasis. Accordingly, the actions of IL-12 might be one of the mechanisms that regulate homeostasis of periodontal tissue during and following inflammation. Therefore, this article aims to review both destructive and protective functionalities of IL-12 with an emphasis on periodontal disease.
白细胞介素12（IL-12）是一种促炎细胞因子，可促进免疫系统的反应。这种细胞因子被认为是几种以炎症诱导的骨破坏为特征的疾病的强力刺激物，如类风湿性关节炎和牙周炎。然而，IL-12在牙周炎发生发展过程中的确切作用尚未阐明。多项研究表明，IL-12水平与牙周破坏的严重程度呈正相关。在患有牙周炎的小鼠中删除IL-12可显著抑制骨破坏水平。有趣的是，除了在调节发病机制方面发挥作用外，IL-12还具有免疫调节特性。这种细胞因子可诱导免疫抑制分子的表达，如吲哚胺-吡咯2,3-双加氧酶（IDO）。因此，这些发现表明IL-12在牙周疾病中既有负面影响也有正面影响。目前认为，细胞因子作用的多样性是调节生物发育和体内平衡的分子关键。因此，IL-12的作用可能是炎症期间及之后调节牙周组织体内平衡的机制之一。因此，本文旨在综述IL-12的破坏性功能和保护性功能，重点是牙周疾病。
