Microbial interactions influence inflammatory host cell responses

The inflammatory response plays an important role in the tissue destruction associated with periodontitis. Bacterial species can regulate the inflammatory responses of host cells, triggered by pathogens. It was hypothesized that, in the field of oral microbiology/immunology, such effects of bacterial interactions on inflammatory host cell responses might also be present. In this study, the effects of beneficial, commensal, and pathogenic species on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) production by human cells were investigated. The beneficial species, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus salivarius, and Streptococcus sanguinis, were able to lower the IL-8 production triggered by A. actinomycetemcomitans. The inhibitory effect was also achieved by the application of streptococcal supernatants. In contrast, the commensal Streptococcus gordonii caused no reduction, and the pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum increased IL-8 production by the host cells. These results show that bacterial species can influence the inflammatory responses of host cells triggered by infection with A. actinomycetemcomitans.