Assessment of Mineralization, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation Mechanisms in the Pulp of Primary Teeth

Konstantina Kritikou,Iulia-Ioana Stanescu-Spinu,Daniela Miricescu,Mihaela Tanase,Marina Imre,Marilena Bordea,Tudor-Claudiu Spinu,Maria Greabu,Alexandra Ripszky Totan,Arina Vinereanu

doi:10.3390/app12031554

Konstantina Kritikou, Iulia-Ioana Stanescu-Spinu + Show 8 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031554

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Abstract

Inflammation in primary teeth (PT) is commonly associated with a lower sensibility to painful stimuli, compared to permanent teeth, and usually leads to late presentation for dental treatment. Data obtained on the molecular assessments of dental pulp and clinical examinations could guide practitioners to conduct precise diagnoses and correct treatments. The aim of our pilot study was to assess the levels of several biomarkers (e.g., mineralization, oxidative stress, and inflammation) in primary teeth. The research included 46 dental pulp specimens collected from the primary teeth of children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 12. The experimental groups consisted of 18 samples collected from primary teeth with acute pulpitis and 15 samples from chronically inflamed pulp tissues. The control group was represented by 13 specimens acquired from clinically healthy primary teeth. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to determine the protein expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3), osteocalcin, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the lysates. Our results revealed that all of the studied parameters presented statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) increased levels in both experimental groups compared to the control samples. Furthermore, osteocalcin presented statistically significant increased concentrations in chronically- versus acute-inflamed pulp samples (p ≤ 0.05). The studied molecules may have an influential role in acute and chronic pulp inflammation in primary teeth.

Highlights

Dental caries are produced by cariogenic bacteria, which, in a sugar-rich environment, release acids that demineralize the hard dental tissues
Post-hoc tests showed that all biomarkers were significantly lower in the control group in comparison to the acute/chronic pulpitis groups, while differences between the acute and chronic pulpitis groups were not significant (p > 0.05), except for the protein levels of osteocalcin, which were significantly higher in chronic pulpitis compared to acute pulpitis (p = 0.002) (Table 2)
The present study showed that biochemical markers, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3), osteocalcin, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), have statistically significant higher levels in acute and chronically inflamed versus healthy pulp samples obtained from primary teeth

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries are produced by cariogenic bacteria, which, in a sugar-rich environment, release acids that demineralize the hard dental tissues. Dentinal tubules are penetrated by bacteria and their metabolites, resulting in an inflammatory process and immunological responses in the dental pulp tissue. These types of reactions can stop bacterial infections in the early stages and promote pulpal healing by formatting a dentine barrier in the affected area. TNF-α is a proinflammatory cytokine released by immune cells, as a response to an infection, and can stimulate the formation of acute-phase inflammation proteins or other proinflammatory cytokines, having, as a result, vasodilatation, increased permeability in blood vessels, and extravasation of leukocytes in the injured area [3]. TGF-β1 is a capable modulator of tissue repair and may be part of reparative dentinogenesis by differentiating pulp cells into odontoblasts [9]

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