Activation of human gingival epithelial cells by cell-surface components of black-pigmented bacteria: augmentation of production of interleukin-8, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tohoku University School of Dentistry, Sendai 980-8575, *Department of Preventive Dentistry, University of Tokushima School of Dentistry, Tokushima 770-8504, †Departments of Biochemistry, Periodontology and Operative Dentistry and Endodontology, Kagoshima University Dental School, Kagoshima 890-8544 and ‡Department of Oral Microbiology, Asahi University School of Dentistry, Gifu 501-0296, Japan

Corresponding author: Professor H. Takada (e-mail: dent-ht{at}mail.cc.thoku.ac.jp ).