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Infection and Immunity, September 2001, p. 5650-5660, Vol. 69, No. 9
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.9.5650-5660.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Hydrolysis of Interleukin-12 by Porphyromonas gingivalis Major Cysteine Proteinases May Affect Local Gamma Interferon Accumulation and the Th1 or Th2 T-Cell Phenotype in Periodontitis

Peter L. W. Yun,1,* Arthur A. Decarlo,2 Charles Collyer,3 and Neil Hunter1

Institute of Dental Research, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales 2052,1 and Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006,3 Australia, and Departments of Periodontics and Oral Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 352942

Received 2 March 2001/Returned for modification 19 April 2001/Accepted 7 June 2001

Porphyromonas gingivalis cysteine proteinases (gingipains) have been associated with virulence in destructive periodontitis, a disease process variously considered to represent an unregulated stimulation of either T helper type 1 (Th1)- or Th2-type cells. Critical in maintaining Th1 activity is the response of T lymphocytes to environmental interleukin 12 (IL-12) in the form of up-regulation of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma ) production. Here we demonstrate that in the presence or absence of serum, gingipains were able to hydrolyze IL-12 and reduce the IL-12-induced IFN-gamma production from CD4+ T cells. However, the induction of IL-12 receptors on T cells by gingipains did not correlate with the enhancement of IFN-gamma production. The gingipains cleaved IL-12 within the COOH-terminal region of the p40 and p35 subunit chains, which leads to IL-12 inactivity, whereas IL-2 in these assays was not affected. Inactivation of IL-12 by the gingipains could disrupt the cytokine balance or favor Th2 activities in the progression of periodontitis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Dental Research, C/- University of NSW, Building R2, 22-32 King St., Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia. Phone: 61-2-93989610. Fax: 61-2-93850247. E-mail: plwyun{at}yahoo.com.

Infection and Immunity, September 2001, p. 5650-5660, Vol. 69, No. 9
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.9.5650-5660.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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