Interleukin-17 in sera from patients with acute myocardial infarction and chronic periodontitis

Abstract

Background: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a cytokine that modulate the inflammatory process in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and chronic periodontitis (CP) and has not been assessed in patients with AMI and CP. The aim of this study was to investigate possible association between AMI and CP by estimating and comparing serum concentrations of IL-17 between the group of patients with AMI, periodontal disease and health. Materials and Methods: Total 37 subjects divided into three groups were included in this study, 16 patients with AMI and CP was termed as Group-I, 16 patients with AMI were termed as Group-II and 5 healthy subjects were termed as Group-III. Gingival index, russel′s periodontal index, probing pocket depth were assessed in all groups. Serum samples were collected from all participants and tested for lipid profile and were quantified for IL-17 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: IL-17 was detected in sera from all three grouped patients; serum concentrations of IL-17 were significantly higher in Group-I when compared to Group-II and III. IL-17 concentrations correlated positively with clinical and lipid parameters in Group-I except for high-density lipoprotein, and with all lipid profile parameters in Group-II and lipid triglycerides correlated positively with IL-17 in Group-III. Conclusions: It can be stated that poor periodontal health which produces higher levels of IL-17, which in turn produces many pro-inflammatory cytokines can place an individual at higher risk for AMI even in the absence of certain traditional risk factors.

Keywords

• Acute myocardial infarction, chronic periodontitis, cytokines, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, interleukin-17, serum