Background and objective: As a pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-2 mediates the activation, growth and differentiation of T and B lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Promoter polymorphisms of the interleukin-2 gene have been associated with altered interleukin-2 production or identified as prognostic markers for various infectious diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate two polymorphisms at positions -330 T/G and 166 G/T in patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (n = 58) or generalized aggressive periodontitis (n = 73) in comparison with periodontitis-free controls (n = 69).
Material and methods: Both interleukin-2 polymorphisms were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. Distributions of single alleles, genotypes and haplotypes were calculated using the chi-square test. Risk factor analyses were carried out by logistic regression with respect to established cofactors for periodontitis. The presence of subgingival bacteria in an individual were analyzed using a molecular biological method (the micro-Ident test).
Results: The interleukin-2 genotype -330 TG occurred less frequently in patients with chronic periodontitis (25.9% vs. 49.3%). Moreover, this genotype decreased the adjusted odds ratio for chronic periodontitis (odds ratio = 0.394), whereas the interleukin-2 genotype 166 TT and the haplotype combination interleukin-2 -330,166 TT : TT were associated with an increased adjusted odds ratio (odds ratio = 2.82 or 2.97). For the latter interleukin-2 combination, a positive association for the subgingival presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis (81.3% vs. 59.5%) and bacteria of the 'red complex' (78.1% vs. 56.0%) was shown.
Conclusion: The interleukin-2 genotypes -330 TG and 166 TT, as well as the combination genotype interleukin-2 TT : TT, could be putative prognostic factors for chronic periodontitis.