@Article{,
AUTHOR = {Cyril O. Enwonwu, Reshma S. Phillips, Kofo O. Savage},
TITLE = {Inflammatory cytokine profile and circulating cortisol levels in malnourished children with necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {16},
YEAR = {2005},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {240--248},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v16n3/66220},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (NUG), a periodontal disease traditionally associated with stressful
lifestyles in young adults in developed countries, is very prevalent in socioeconomically deprived Nigerian
children. Random incident cases (153) of NUG, along with their neighborhood village counterparts of comparable
age and without NUG, as control, were recruited for this study. Anthropometric evaluation revealed widespread
malnutrition and poor health in both groups of children, with more severe stunting in NUG cases. The poor
nutritional status of the village children, with and without NUG, was also confirmed by markedly reduced levels
of circulating micronutrients. Compared with the neighborhood children, NUG victims showed significant
(p < 0.05 or < 0.001) increases in serum levels of interleukin (IL)-8 (+ 233%), IL-18 (+ 30%), IL-6 (+ 190%), IL-1β
(+ 341%), IL-10 (+ 186%), with a small decrease in interferon (IFN)-γ (-19%) and nonsignificant increases in
soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (sTNFR-p55, p75). Associated with NUG was a significant, 38%
(p < 0.05) increase in plasma cortisol above the already high levels observed in the neighborhood village children,
as well as some micronutrient deficiencies. The findings suggest that NUG is associated with dysregulated cytokine
production, with a complex interplay of elevated levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators. Such changes
may serve as the common link between the seemingly unrelated risk conditions (e.g. stressful life styles, smoking,
microbial infections, diabetes, malnutrition, alcoholism) traditionally implicated in the genesis of NUG, and all
known to promote an increase in the blood level of cortisol, as well as a Th<sub>1</sub> to Th<sub>2</sub> cytokine shift.},
DOI = {}
}