The relationship between inflammation and cAMP level in human gingiva.

The levels of cAMP were measured by means of radioimmunoassay in 20 gingival samples free from inflammatory cells and 43 samples with moderately dense and dense aggregations of inflammatory cells. The average values were found to be 340 +/- 44 and 552 +/- 59 pmol/gm wet tissue, respectively. The increase in cAMP levels in inflammation is suggested to be modulated by an increase in endogenous prostaglandin synthesis and could be one of the natural mechanisms by which the host protects itself from dangerous consequences of unregulated immune response.