Production of colony-stimulating factor in human dental pulp fibroblasts

Class II major histocompatilibity complex (MHC)-expressing cells are usually distributed in dental pulp, and it was postulated that the colony-stimulating factor (CSF) derived from dental pulp fibroblasts contributes to the migration of class II MHC-expressing cells into pulp tissue. This study aimed to investigate the CSF production of human dental pulp fibroblasts. In pulp tissue sections, granulocyte (G)-CSF was detected from normal teeth, while G-CSF, macrophage (M)-CSF, and granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF were detected from teeth with dentinal caries. In cultured dental pulp fibroblasts, G-CSF was detected by immunostaining, immunoprecipitation, and ELISA, and mRNAs of G-CSF, M-CSF, and GM-CSF were detected by RT-PCR. The dental pulp fibroblasts cultured with TNF-alpha were found to increase the G-CSF expression and to produce M-CSF and GM-CSF. These findings suggest that dental pulp fibroblasts usually produce G-CSF. In the presence of TNF-alpha, dental pulp fibroblast express M-CSF and GM-CSF.