UCLA

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the levels of various cytokines in patients with idiopathic condylar resorption (ICR) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Previous research has assessed the roles of cytokines in serum and synovial fluid of patients with autoimmune diseases resulting in joint degeneration. However, limited studies have assessed saliva as an alternative medium for detection of cytokine levels in ICR. Whole saliva was collected and compared between 10 ICR subjects and 10 control subjects. Using membrane-based protein assay, we found an increase in intensity in the following 12 proinflammatory cytokines: IL-18, IFN-γ, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-17E, GM-CSF, CXCL10, CCL5, and CCL2. A decrease in intensity was seen in the anti-inflammmatory cytokine IL-10. IL-18, IFN-γ, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-17E, and GM-CSF demonstrated statistical significance in our analysis (p < 0.05).