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Detection of tumor necrosis factor alpha in normal and inflamed human dental pulps
Sonja Pezelj-Ribaric1, Ivica Anic, Ivana Brekalo
1Departments of Dental Pathology and Stomatology, Medical School, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. sonja.pezelj-ribaric@ri.hinet.hr
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.
