Asociación entre niveles de TNF-α en fluido crevicular gingival de dientes con periodontitis apical asintomática

introduction: as a consequence of septic pulp necrosis, the entry of bacterial products into periapical tissues induces the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as the tumor necrosis factor (tnf)- a. this pleiotropic cytokine is involved in the differentiation and activation of osteoclasts to induce bone resorption, a hallmark of asymptomatic apical periodontitis (aap). gingival crevicular fluid (gcf) has a great potential as a source of factors associated with osteoclastic activity. the aim of this study was to determine the levels of tnf- a in gcf of teeth with paa and contralateral healthy controls. methods: a total of 14 patients with clinical diagnosis of aap were enrolled from the clinic of endodontics, faculty of dentistry, universidad de chile during 2009 and 30-second gcf samples were obtained with paper strips from aap teeth and contralateral healthy controls. total protein concentration and tnf- a levels were determined through bisciconitic acid method and elisa assay, respectively. paired t test and statav11 software were used for statistical analysis. results: levels of tnf- a were significantly higher in gcf from teeth with aap than controls when standardized by either 30s of sampling and total protein content. conclusions: the present study provides preliminary data supporting that tnf- a levels in gcf reflect periapical status. screening of tnf- a levels in gcf might represent a useful side-diagnostic tool to the monitoring of the apical status.