title: Interleukin-8 is increased in gingival crevicular fluid from patients with acute pulpitis.
abstract: Irreversibly inflamed pulp (IIP) constitutes both a pathophysiologic and a diagnostic challenge. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were obtained with Periopaper strips from IIP and adjacent and contralateral teeth for interleukin-8 (CXCL8) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) measurements. Pain intensity was reported by using a verbal numeric scale (1-10). TNF-alpha (n = 25) was not detectable in GCF, whereas CXCL8 (n = 17) was significantly greater in IIP (302.1 +/- 164.9 pg/mL) compared with adjacent (139 +/- 138.58 pg/mL; P = .0072) or contralateral (173.8 +/- 166.4 pg/mL; P = .0231) teeth. A subgroup of high pain (>5) patients (n = 7) had CXCL8 IIP levels (323.6 +/- 148.4 pg/mL) that were significantly different from the contralateral teeth (P = .0262); however, they did not differ from the adjacent teeth (P = .1649), suggesting that neighboring teeth might also have inflammation. Another group of patients (n = 7) who had received local anesthesia before sampling had very low IIP CXCL8 levels. GCF CXCL8 levels might be a useful measurement for staging patients with acute pulpitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. Virignia.karapanou@tufts.edu
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karapanou
authors.forename: Duraisamy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kempuraj
authors.forename: Theoharis C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Theoharides
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008340:Mandibular Nerve; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008012:Lidocaine