Effect of triclosan on interferon-γ production and major histocompatibility complex class II expression in human gingival fibroblasts

Background, aims: The effect of triclosan (2,4,4′‐trichloro‐2′‐hydroxyl‐diphenyl ether) on the production of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen was studied in human gingival fibroblasts isolated from 4 individuals. Methods/Results: AII cell lines demonstrated high IFN‐γ production in 24‐h cultures of human gingival fibroblasts stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) (5 μg/ml). Human gingival fibroblasts showed a high expression of MHC class II when stimulated with 500 and 1000 pg/ml rIFN‐γ in 7‐day cultures. Treatment of the cells with triclosan (0.5 μg/ml) reduced both IFN‐γ production and MHC class II expression in human gingival fibroblast cultures. Similar inhibitory effects on IFN‐γ production and MHC class II expression were observed when the anti‐inflammatory agent dexamethazone (1 μM) was used. Conclusion: The present study further supports the view that the agent has an anti‐inflammatory effect in addition to its antibacterial capacity.