title: Cytokines as diagnostic markers of pulpal inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure and compare the levels of the cytokines IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ in pulpal blood from irreversible pulpitis, asymptomatic caries exposure and normal pulps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood was obtained from pulp exposure sites using cotton pellets. Twenty-five samples were obtained from normal teeth, 40 from asymptomatic caries-exposed pulps and 43 from irreversible pulpitis teeth. Cytokine levels were determined by high-sensitivity ELISA. Data were statistically analysed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher levels (P < 0.05) of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ were detected in caries-exposed pulps and irreversible pulpitis as compared to normal teeth. IL-2 and IL-10 levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in caries-exposed pulps as compared to irreversible pulpitis, whilst IL-8 was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in irreversible pulpitis as compared to caries-exposed teeth. Most interestingly, IL-6/IL-10 and IL-8/IL-10 ratios were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in irreversible pulpitis compared with both caries-exposed and normal teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levels of IL-8 and the ratios of IL-6/IL-10 and IL-8/IL-10 have the potential to be indicators of pulpal inflammation in caries exposure cases. Cytokine estimation in pulpal blood may help in the diagnosis of pulpal inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elsalhy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Azizieh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raghupathy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000473:pathology; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000473:pathology; D003789:Dental Pulp Exposure / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C508594:IL2 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma