The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in the synovial fluid correlated with the severity of arthroscopically observed synovitis and clinical outcome after temporomandibular joint irrigation in patients with chronic closed lock.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovial fluid (SF) and the severity of arthroscopically observed synovitis before and after visually guided TMJ irrigation (VGIR) in patients with chronic closed lock (CCL). In addition, the findings were correlated with the clinical outcome.


METHODS
Twenty-four patients with unilateral CCL, who underwent a second VGIR either as a repeated therapeutic TMJ irrigation or as a follow-up arthroscopy, were enrolled in the study. They were divided into either successful (s-group; n = 11) and unsuccessful (u-group; n = 13) groups. The VEGF level in the aspirated SF and the severity of synovitis were compared between the s- and u-groups. In each group, the same parameters were compared before and after VGIR. The correlation of the VEGF level with the severity of synovitis was also studied.


RESULTS
At the first VGIR, the VEGF levels showed no significant differences when comparing s- and u-groups. At the second VGIR, the VEGF level was significantly higher in the u-group. The VEGF level significantly decreased after the first VGIR in the s-group but remained unchanged in the u-group. There was no significant correlation between the VEGF level and the severity of synovitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The level of VEGF in TMJ SF seems to reflect the clinical status in patients with CCL. Moreover, VEGF may be an important target molecule in future chemotherapy of TMJ CCL.
Kumagai
Kenichi
K
Postgraduate School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan.
Hamada
Yoshiki
Y
Holmlund
Anders B
AB
Gotoh
Akito
A
Nakaoka
Kazutoshi
K
Arai
Go
G
Yamane
Shoji
S
Suzuki
Ryuji
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001182:Arthroscopy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D019152:Paracentesis; D011336:Probability; D019233:Retreatment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D013585:Synovitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000098:blood supply; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A