Assessment of Salivary TNF-α Level in Patients with Different Severities of Periodontitis

Abstract

Aim of the study: To assess the salivary levels of TNF-α in patients with different severities (stages I-IV) of periodontitis in comparison to healthy control.
 Materials and methods: 171 individuals both men and women were inducted into this study. There were five groups established for them: clinically healthy periodontium control group (19 subjects), Stage I periodontitis (38 subjects), Stage II periodontitis group (38 subjects), Stage III periodontitis (38 subjects), and, Stage IV (38 subjects). The clinical periodontal parameters were examined after collecting whole unstimulated salivary samples from all individuals. TNF-α levels in saliva samples were estimated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
 Results: The results revealed the mean level of salivary TNF-α was the highest in the stage IV periodontitis group (200.634±50.232), followed by stage III periodontitis group (159.315±36.473), then stage II periodontitis group (128.054±32.651), then stage I (102.798±21.685), and then the control group (51.454±10.446) in which their salivary levels were the lowest with significant differences among the groups (p< 0.01).
 Conclusion: it may be suggested that TNF-α is related to periodontitis. Also, their salivary levels may have diagnostic potential.