Measurement of Salivary Tumor Necrosis Factor- alpha (TNF- α) in Periodontitis Patients with or without Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory mediator considered to be a soluble mediator released from immunocompetent cells. It exercises a wide range of proinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in different cell populations, such as stimulating prostaglandin synthesis, promoting tumors in a variety of cancers, producing proteases, and activating osteoclastic function and therefore bone resorption. Its myriad functions suggest that TNF-α plays an important role in mediating the immune-inflammatory responses initiated by infection or other types of damage.

Aim: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the concentrations of Tumour Necrosis Factor- alpha (TNF- α) in the saliva of periodontitis patients with or without diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods: A total of 30 participants were taken and divided into 3 groups with each group consisting of 10 saliva samples from patients with clinically healthy gingiva and patients with chronic periodontitis with diabetes mellitus and periodontitis patients only. Saliva sample was collected and salivary TNF- α was done using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Statistically analyses was done by one way ANOVA test

Results: Salivary TNF- α concentration in periodontal health, periodontitis with diabetes mellitus (P+DM), Periodontitis only (P) were analysed. Salivary TNF- α concentration was found to be significantly higher (p<0.05) in periodontitis with diabetes mellitus (49±3.5 pg/ml) when compared with periodontitis only (29±3.6 pg/ml) and also when compared with healthy controls (17±1.4 pg/ml).

Conclusion: The present study showed elevated TNF- α in periodontitis patients with diabetes mellitus when compared to patients with periodontitis only and normal healthy patients. Further studies are required in a large scale to substantiate the role of TNF-α in the progression of periodontal diseases.