title: Detection of tumor necrosis factor alpha in normal and inflamed human dental pulps.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in normal, painful, and asymptomatic human dental pulps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulps were obtained from three groups of teeth, including healthy teeth, asymptomatic teeth with caries and/or large restoration, and symptomatic teeth with clinical diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis. Pulpal tissues were collected, prepared, and analyzed for TNF-alpha concentration by ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences between TNF-alpha concentration in normal samples (64.01 +/- 53.12 pg/g) and irreversible symptomatic pulpal tissue (1962.99 +/- 1288.75 pg/g), between irreversible symptomatic and asymptomatic (1120.09 +/- 649.72 pg/g), and between normal and irreversible asymptomatic pulpal tissue (p = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TNF-alpha may be an objective marker for determining extent of pulpal inflammation associated with irreversible pulpitis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dental Pathology and Stomatology, Medical School, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. sonja.pezelj-ribaric@ri.hinet.hr
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pezelj-Ribaric
authors.forename: Ivica
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anic
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brekalo
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miletic
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: Marica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simunovic-Soskic
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha