Increased interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) concentration in gingival tissue from periodontitis patients.

Human gingival tissues from periodontitis patients were found to contain from 126 fg/mg to 2161 fg/mg interleukin-1 beta as determined by a sensitive enzyme linked immunoassay. No IL-1 beta could be found in normal gingival tissue. This finding may have important consequences relevant to connective tissue destruction and episodes of alveolar bone resorption characteristic of chronic periodontitis.