INTERFERON- GAMMA LEVELS IN THE ODONTOGENIC CYST FLUIDS REGARDING BACTERIUM CONTENT

Purpose: Odontogenic cysts (OCs) are pathological lesions that include liquid or semi-liquid surrounded with epithelium. Radicular cysts’ (RCs) and odontogenic keratocysts’ (OKCs) are common odontogenic cysts of jaws, and may reach to a substantial size without symptoms for a long time. It is known that cytokines secreted during infection and inflammation regulate the immune response. This study aims to describe the relationship between bacteria as infection agents and the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) cytokine of innate and adaptive immune response. Materials and Methods: OC fluid samples with a history of infection were collected from a total of 39 OCs consisting 25 samples of odontogenic keratocysts (OKC) and 14 samples of radicular cysts (RC). Anaerobic bacteria detection was performed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on bacterial 16S rRNA genes. IFN-γ levels in OC fluids were determined using the luminex method. Results: No significant differences in IFN-γ levels and T cell type 1 cytokine responses were observed between the cystic fluid samples classified on the basis of age, gender, cyst-type, cyst-size, bacterial species and the number of bacterial species contained. The measured concentrations IFN-γ, which is a helper T cell type 1 cytokine were consistent with published data from experimental animal models, immunohistochemical studies, and molecular studies. Conclusion: Luminex method can detect the concentration of many different types of protein in a small sample volume and is suitable for determining the protein content of odontogenic cysts.