Interleukins and their relevance to the pathogenesis of periodontal disease

The host response to exogenous antigen involves a complex series of interactions amongst macrophages, lymphocytes and other cells of the inflammatory system. Many, if not all, of these interactions are mediated by small molecular weight polypeptides known as cytokines. These key mediators of the host response include the interleukins, tumor necrosis factors and interferons. The biological properties of interleukin-1, -2, -4 and -6 are discussed and proposals made regarding their possible role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases.