Lipoteichoic acid and interleukin 1 stimulate synergistically production of hepatocyte growth factor (scatter factor) in human gingival fibroblasts in culture.

Lipoteichoic acids (LTA) from various gram-positive bacteria, including oral streptococci such as Streptococcus sanguis, enhanced the production of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (scatter factor) by human gingival fibroblasts in culture, whereas lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from various gram-negative bacteria did not. In contrast, LPS induced interleukin 1 activity in human gingival epithelial cells in culture, while LTA had little effect. LTA and recombinant human interleukin 1 alpha enhanced synergistically the production of HGF/SF in human gingival fibroblast cultures. Recombinant human HGF, in turn, enhanced the proliferation of human gingival epithelial cells in culture.